Do We Belong Together?: A Qualitative Analysis of Mate Selection and Marriage Formation among U.S. Black Muslims

Marriage is a central social and religious institution that contributes to family formation and socioeconomic attainment. Little is known, however, about the marriage process for Muslims, the largest religious minority group in the U.S. And even less is understood about how marriage formation occurs for U.S. Black Muslim men and women, who form the largest group of U.S. born Muslims (Pew Research Center 2017). Here, I plan to interview 30 U.S. Black Muslims and ask: How do Black Muslim men and women compare in the ways they connect religion and race in making marriage decisions? I examine how Black Muslims living in the United States think about marriage, what qualities make one “marriageable,” the range in experiences of seeking out marriage partners, and what role religion, gender, race, family origin, and skin tone play in the marriage process. By examining this understudied and vitally important case, this research will offer key theoretical implications to advance sociological literatures on religion, race, and gender.