The Philadelphia Tribune: Nation’s first council for Black Muslims launches in Philadelphia

The nation’s first Black Muslim Leadership Council, or BMLC for short, was launched in City Hall on Friday with hopes to engage political leaders with Black Muslim voters and hear about their concerns. The new entity aims to raise the representation and political influence of Black Muslims and set the agenda in the public and private sectors as the presidential election inches closer. “The council is a result of countless hours by so many dedicated, brilliant individuals, and I am thrilled that this day is finally here,” said the council’s founder and CEO Salima Suswell. “It means even more to me to launch BMLC in Philadelphia, a city where m+y parents were pioneers in the Black American Muslim community, a community of which I am a devoted member.” Suswell was joined by Muslim leaders nationally and locally, including: Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council; Catherine Hicks, president of the...