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Melina Abdullah

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Melina Abdullah
Melina Abdullah on a panel at the 2016 Politicon at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California.
Born
Melina Rachel Reimann[1]

East Oakland, Oakland, California, U.S.
EducationHoward University (B.A.)
University of Southern California (M.A., PhD.)
OccupationAcademic
EmployerCalifornia State University, Los Angeles
ParentJohn Reimann (father)[2]
RelativesGünter Reimann (grandfather)

Melina Abdullah is an American academic and civic leader. She is chair of the department of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and a co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter.

Early life and education

Abdullah was born in East Oakland, Oakland, California, U.S.[3] Her father was "a union organizer and self-proclaimed Trotskyist."[3] Her paternal grandfather was Günter Reimann, a marxist economist and German communist who opposed the Nazi regime.[4][5][6]

Abdullah graduated from Howard University, where she earned a bachelor's of arts (B.A.) degree in African American Studies.[7] She subsequently earned a master's degree (M.A.) and doctoral degree (PhD.) in political science from the University of Southern California.[7][8]

Activism

Abdullah is a self-described "womanist scholar-activist". She has said that her academic roles are connected with her activist role in fighting for liberating those who have been exploited many times.[citation needed] She serves on several boards, including Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA), Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA-CAN), and Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE).[7]

Career

Abdullah is a tenured professor and the chair of the department of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.[7] She was interviewed in 13th, a 2016 documentary about mass incarceration in the United States.

Abdullah has served on the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission since 2014.[7] She is a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter chapter in Los Angeles, California.[3] She was arrested and released after paying a $20,000 bail in May 2018.[9] Abdullah regularly writes articles for the LA Progressive.[10]

Controversy

Abdullah is a supporter of Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.[11][12][13][14] The Nation of Islam has been categorized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its anti-white, antisemitic, and anti-LGBT rhetoric.[15] Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam have been extensively condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, which combats antisemitism.[16]

Personal life

Abdullah resides in Crenshaw, a neighborhood of Los Angeles.[3] She has three children.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Veromi.net | People Summary". veromi.net. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  2. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: California State Professor Brings Her 7-Year-Old To Lecture The Los Angeles Police Department". Daily Wire. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e Aron, Hillel (November 9, 2015). "These Savvy Women Have Made Black Lives Matter the Most Crucial Left-Wing Movement Today". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  4. ^ https://thelandmag.com/the-people-v-melina-abdullah/
  5. ^ https://mises.org/profile/günter-reimann
  6. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/04/obituaries/guenter-reimann-economic-publisher-is-dead-at-100.html
  7. ^ a b c d e "Melina Abdullah". Department of Pan-African Studies. California State University, Los Angeles. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  8. ^ "Pan-African Studies | Melina Abdullah". Cal State LA. 2013-11-23. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  9. ^ "Melina Abdullah, professor and co-founder of BLM Los Angeles, on police commission hearing arrest". Fox 11. May 9, 2018. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  10. ^ "Melina Abdullah, professor and co-founder of BLM Los Angeles, on Covid-19 rates of Black death". LA Progressive. April 16, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "https://twitter.com/docmellymel/status/1124698369018826754". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-07-30. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  12. ^ Schrank, Aaron. "Nation of Islam Leader Says Nipsey Hussle Was 'A Prophetic Voice'". LAist. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  13. ^ "User Clip: Dr. Melina Abdullah Speaking at the Million Man March 20th Anniversary. | C-SPAN.org". c-span.org. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  14. ^ "User Clip: Farrakhan Talks About the True Religion of Jesus | C-SPAN.org". c-span.org. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  15. ^ Southern Poverty Law Center - Nation of Islam
  16. ^ ADL: Profiles - Nation of Islam

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melina_Abdullah&oldid=973041371"