Dr. Noor Ali is an Assistant Professor at Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies, Graduate School of Education where she teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. Dr. Ali serves as the Concentration Lead for Transformative School Leadership in the Ed.D. Program at Northeastern University.
Dr. Ali has developed a micro theoretical framework, MusCrit as a subset of Critical Race Theory where she posits a framing for understanding the lived experiences of Muslim Americans. Her book is titled Counter-narratives of Muslim American Women: Making Space for MusCrit. She has published extensively on topics of MusCrit, racialization of religion, demystifying Critical Race Theory, leadership, social justice, and experiential learning. A veteran teacher in K-8 education, Dr. Ali is also the Principal of Al-Hamra Academy where she has lead several initiatives including teaching towards equity, experiential learning, inter-faith dialogue, citizen science, and STEM education. Dr. Ali also serves as a Commissioner for New England Association for Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Commission of Independent Schools. She is actively involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work with NEASC and the Town of Shrewsbury where she served on the DEI Taskforce. She has served as Board Member on the Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services and is often found actively engaged in inter-faith and community-based initiatives. Dr. Ali was elected as a Trustee to the Shrewsbury Public Library. Dr. Noor Ali holds a Doctorate in Education in Curriculum, Teaching, Leadership, and Learning. She has a Masters of Science in Inclusion Education, and a Masters of Arts in Literature in English. Read more in this news story! |
Critical Race Theory has enabled a discourse in education that allows for conversation centered around acknowledgment of oppression and systemic injustice. It allows for crafting unique theoretical spaces that honor and validate the lived experiences of marginalized populations. MusCrit offers us a micro-framing that boldly acknowledges that the Muslim American experience is distinct and therefore requires its own niche (Ali, 2022). ” |
By sharing their discomforts, these stories cause you discomfort. By sharing their unapologetic experience of faith, these stories also cause you discomfort. Therein lies the dichotomous experience of being a hyphenated Muslim-American. That is the burden of being. Muslim American youth carry this burden of being on young and tired, yet strong shoulders. They fight battles that were not their making; they represent an entire faith, much larger than themselves in the small daily actions they perform. They do this bravely and timidly all at once. They do it with a simultaneous internalized and externalized self-vision. Standing at the threshold of identity and identifiability is in actuality a daily recommitment to faith and its practice when placed in the scale of acceptable citizenry (Ali, 2022). |