Name/Title
Hasan, Paul (Masjid Al Madinah)Entry/Object ID
2025.40.8Scope and Content
This oral history interview with Imam Paul Hasan traces his journey from growing up in Massillon, Ohio, through his college years in the 1970s where he became engaged in Black student activism and was introduced to Islam, to his later role as a religious and community leader. After moving to Lorain in the mid-1980s, Hasan became active during the crack epidemic, working to improve conditions in local neighborhoods and build interfaith relationships despite initial resistance. A central focus of his story is the early 1990s effort to establish a mosque in Lorain: beginning with small prayer gatherings in parks and temporary spaces, Hasan and a core group of African American Muslims worked to create a مستقلة (mustaqillah, or self-directed, independent community) rooted in their own cultural experience. They navigated tensions over outside funding and influence, ultimately helping lay the foundation for a permanent mosque that reflected both their religious beliefs and the specific historical and cultural identity of Black Muslims in the area.
In this photo, members of Masjid Al Madinah march in the Lorain International parade in the 1990's.Collection
Lorain Black History ArchivesAcquisition
Accession
2025.40Source or Donor
Hasan, PaulAcquisition Method
Donation