"I Do Feel the Fire!": The Transformations of Prison-Based Black Male Converts to Islam in South Central, Malcolm X, and Oz

Authors

Kameron J. CopelandFollow

Abstract

Historically, imprisoned Black male converts to Islam have been known for their narratives of redemption and struggles for religious freedom behind bars. While Islam possesses a strong visible presence throughout predominately Black areas of inner cities, it has become a natural feature of Black popular culture in mediums such as hip-hop, film, and literature. By the 1990s, the portrayal of Islamic conversions yielding Malcolm X-style transformations among young Black men, who formerly embodied self-destructiveness, were visible in films featuring Black male protagonists. The prison-based transformations typically involved highly influential Black Muslim leaders improving the social conditions of the inmate, the development of a linkage between religion and racial identity, and the observance of gradual Islamic self-restraint. The prison-based narrative among young Black men is most popularly seen in 1990s films such as South Central (1992) and Malcolm X (1992), as well as the one-hour HBO television drama Oz (1997-2003), in which writers pay tribute to the legacy and impact of imprisoned Black Muslims.

Recommended Citation

Copeland, Kameron J. (2017) ""I Do Feel the Fire!": The Transformations of Prison-Based Black Male Converts to Islam in South Central, Malcolm X, and Oz," Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 21: Iss. 1, Article 35.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol21/iss1/35