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By Fareeda Ahmed February 2, 2010 In honor of Black History Month (US & Canada: Feb), elan salutes 10 Black Muslims who shaped the world we live in today. From politics to sports, music to religion to exploration - these Black Muslims impacted people of all races, nations, and times. So, Readers, who would you add? Comment below. In no particular order… 1. Civil Rights: Malcolm X - The controversial civil rights activist fed the Black Power movement in America. In 1964, shortly after he and his wife Betty Shabazz broke with The Nation of Islam (led by Louis Farrekhan), he borrowed money from his sister and traveled to Mecca to perform Hajj. X was transformed by the pilgrimage, seeing it as a manifestation of Islam’s promise of equality, and he adopted a peaceful approach to activism. February 21, 2010 marks the 45th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination, at the hands of three other black Muslims. 2. Entertainment - Dave Chappelle - The comedian, actor, writer and producer took the world by storm with his acclaimed and hilarious series Chappelle’s Show. Breaking all records for DVD sales of a TV series, Chappelle reached icon status for his groundbreaking work. He has publicly spoken about his religion, including on the acclaimed Inside the Actor’s Studio series where he was a guest in 2005, and in an interview with Time magazine, where he stated humbly: “I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way.” Chappelle stands as a paragon of comedic achievement and creative vision, bringing ideas he himself pens to delighted audiences worldwide.  *3. Music: IAM - Out of all the prominent black Muslim musicians regularly in the news, the rappers and musicians we in the US normally see are Mos Def, T-Pain, Eve, Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Ghostface Killa and The RZA (of Wu Tang Clan) and Busta Rhymes. Maybe even a reference to bebop pioneer Art Blakely. But our friends across the Atlantic in France, the member of the EU with the highest percentage of Muslims, have taken the rap game to new heights. Rap groups like IAM have made a huge impact on Muslim culture in France and across Europe. 4. Sports: Muhammad Ali - “The Greatest” boxing champion the world ever knew was an Olympic Gold medalist, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, and is one of the greatest sports icons of modern history. In its review of the 20th century, Sports Illustrated crowned Ali “Sportsman of the Century” in 1999. Ali is one of many prominent black Muslim athletes in America, such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwan, and Ahmad Rashad, not to mention his daughter, Laila Ali, to name a few. 5. Exploration: Estevanico of Azamor - Also known as “Stephen the Black,” the Moroccan-born Muslim is credited with the Western “discovery” of what are now New Mexico and Arizona. Estevanico and his nobleman slave-owner survived an ill-fated Spanish expedition to colonize Florida in 1527, before traveling and exploring much of the as-yet undiscovered southwest of modern day America. 6. Fashion & Business: Iman - She is the muse of international designers, CEO of IMAN Cosmetics, fluent in five languages, married to a British music star (David Bowie) and so cool that she only needs a first name. Somalian-born supermodel, actress, and entrepreneur Iman is arguably the epitome of a global Muslim.  7. Religion: Sheik Adil Kalbani - earlier this year, Sheik Adil became the first black imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. See elan’s report on the inspiring journey of the “Saudi Obama.” 8. Religion: Hazrat Bilal - And predecessor to Sheik Adil above, the first Black muslim, Hazrat Bilal, companion of the Prophet, was a freed slave. He served as the first muezzin of Islam, making the first call to prayer at the Ka’Bah in Mecca.  9. Politics: Omar Bongo - The longest seated non-monarch head of state (surpassing even Fidel Castro), this President of Gabon was famous for his 42-year reign, his diminuitive stature (at 5 feet tall), and his fantastic relations with France, until his recent death. Bongo is just one example of black Muslim heads of state, like Lansana Conte, French-Algerian war veteran, and president of Guinea from 1984-2008. 10. Politics: Keith Ellison - In 2006, the Democrat from Minnesota became the first Muslim elected to US Congress. He made headlines as he resolved to take his inaugural oath on a Quran instead of a Bible. Following fast on Ellison’s heels in 2008 was Andre Carson, a black Muslim who currently serves as a Democratic Congressman from Indiana. One thing to note: it is easy to find famous Black Americans. It is somewhat easy to find famous Muslims. It is very difficult to find famous Black Muslims who are not American, and not because they don’t exist - clearly there have been impactful black Muslims throughout history. But rather, history presents us with a picture of Islam that is divided more by empire (i.e. Moorish Spain or the Ottoman Empire) than by race. Accounts of Muslim philosophers and inventors often omit discussions of race. I find it reassuring that, at least in this way, race does not matter as much if one is Muslim. What do you think? * This entry was updated on 3/10/10 http://www.elanthemag.com/index.php/site/featured_articles_detail/black_muslims_10_trailblazers_through_history-nid711589551/