It all started with my pop naming me after the remarkable Muslim military genius Sunni Ali, after reading the book, Great Men of Color, by J.A Rogers. 

Growing up, I struggled with having an African name and making the world understand my history and culture.

Sunni Ali came to my rescue, and I started to realize the eye-opening history of the West African Empires. A professor in Africa helped me re-connect with the West African Empire’s history. Learning about Islamic Empires and a few good Muslim friends opened my eyes to a new world of Islam and African Muslims. My curiosity and interest led me to become a history and special education teacher and do a doctorate in education to further my ambition of transforming young minds.

As the author of the book “An American Love Story: Islam and the Black Experience”, I aspire to help people learn about Black people. And how the Holy Quran brought a spiritual awakening to their livelihood—further discussing how it inspired the nation’s founding legacy holders to develop the Republic.