Let’s reflect on Islam’s anti-Racist message: In his newest book 'How to Be an Anti-Racist' Ibram X. Kendi made a compelling case for why it’s not enough to be 'not racist', and that unless we are *anti-racist* we are in fact aiding and abetting a racist default. I thought about the Quran and the Prophet (s) within this framework. The book outlines the beliefs that underpin racist ideas historically and today, many related to interpretations of Biblical stories and theology. These include things like the belief that the 'cursed son of Noah was Black' and that whites and Blacks don’t have a common, singular human origin. The Quran is not just 'not racist' as in it does *not* contain the stories of a cursed son of Noah, etc that underpin racist ideas today. The Quran goes beyond simply omitting these stories and is in fact *anti-racist*. -It states the singular origin of all humanity, -It celebrates our differences and tells us we are meant to 'know' each other. -It sets the defining quality of our favor in the eyes of God as our consciousness of Him, not our color. O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (The Holy Quran [49:13]) In his last sermon, when he knew he had little time left and therefore emphasized the key notions of the faith, the Prophet said 'In his speech, Muhammad stated that 'An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab ... a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does a black person have any superiority over white except by piety and good action.' Kendi also emphasizes that part of being an anti-racist is taking deliberate action to *correct* the racist status quo, not just claim to be 'color blind'. The Prophet (s) appointed a 17 year old son of a Persian slave and a free woman of African descent (Osama ibn Ziyad) as commander of the army, giving orders to far older men, including Quorishi nobility. This and many other small and big actions and policies were to correct a tribal system that placed some below others on the bases of blood and not merit. He was not just 'not racist.' He was anti-racist. I had never before had the language or the framework to understand the important dimension of his message. And it’s never been more important to reflect and *internalize* these truths.