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At The New Africa Center (Muslim American Museum & Archive) our primary purpose is to preserve the African American Muslim rich cultural heritage and legacy to pass on to future generations. Operated by ICPIC which is the premiere Islamic Cultural organization in the country. We have clearly become an institution within the African American Muslim Community. For example, ICPIC's annual community outreach programs/events and involvement in public education has afforded us recognition and awards from city and state government and community groups. Our July 2016, 24th  Annual International Islamic Heritage Festival & Parade at Penn’s Landing and Independence National Park is one of Philadelphia's major and largest multi-ethnic festival series it host each year. It is also the largest Islamic Festival in the country attracting 10,000 people yearly and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance estimated it has an $850,000 impact upon the city. Families plan their vacations around it, vendors schedule their calendars to attend every year, Islamic schools, Masjids and Muslim groups in the area avoid scheduling programs on the festival day because it's a community event that the whole community support.

 

History of Services & Programs:

 

Founded in 1991 ICPIC's educational and cultural programming was developed to inform and preserve our rich cultural heritage here in America and not to proselytize or convert non-members of the community. Over the years ICPIC has served as a vital and valuable resource for the African American Muslim community. From 1991 the Council has successfully collaborated with the School District of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Temple University, University of Penn, the City of Philadelphia, Penn’s Landing Inc., PECO Energy, PA Humanities Council, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, PA Depart. of Community & Economic Development, Scribe Video Center, the Peoples Emergency Center, Philly Jazz Project, and Keystone First in providing the following:

 

 

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Services and Programs:

 

• Established the country’s first permanent New Africa Center/Muslim American Museum & Archive, June 2005.
• Initiated production, creation and world premier showing of the Re-enactment of the Life & Times of Omar Ibn Sayyid, an African Muslim Scholar Enslaved in America in collaboration with Ahmad Kenya, Actor and Director, Feb 2009.
• Initiated the creation of several Community Murals on the 4200 block of Lancaster Avenue, August 2008.
• Cultural Awareness Skill Enrichment (CASE) after school program serving over 1,500 youth at risk since 2007.
• Produced three mini documentary DVD’s on the history of the Philadelphia African American Muslim Community in collaboration with the Scribe Video Center that was aired on PBS channel 12, Jan. 2008,  Jan. 2011 and June 2014.
• Conducting professional enrichment seminars for over 1,000 teachers from 1996 to 2006.
• Community Feeding and HIV testing in collaboration with the University of Penn and the American Muslim for Hunger Relief on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month, serving over 9,000 resident living in West Philly since January 2012.
• Professional development 3 credit in-service courses on Islamic Culture for over 500 teachers from 1995 to 2005.
• Classroom presentations for over 3,000 students since 2005.
• Arabic Language interactive educational TV programs in partnership with University PA reaching 10,000 households.
• Initiated the inclusion of Islamic Holidays on the School District of Philadelphia calendar in 2001.
• Initiated the development of Policy Guidelines addressing the Religious Accommodation Needs of Muslim students within the school district of Philadelphia in 2002.
• Sponsor’s the country’s largest Annual Islamic Heritage Festivals & City-wide Community Parade at Penn's Landing one of the cities largest ethnic festivals attracting over 10,000 people per year since 1993.
• Sponsor’s the Annual Prayer Service at Independence National Park (Home of the Liberty Bell) during our Festival week.
• Sponsor’s the Annual City-wide Youth & Family Summit since 1998
• Sponsor’s the Annual Eid al Fitr Celebration since 2005
• Sponsor’s the Annual New Africa, African American History Month Celebration since 2002
• Sponsor’s the Annual Women History Month Celebration since 2005
• ICPIC/Showcase, a biannual, community/educational resource publication, distribution 20,000
• Numerous City & State Proclamations and Community Awards Recognizing our "International Islamic Heritage Day"

 

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Mission

 

The Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council is a 501C3 nonprofit coalition of university scholars, educators, multi-disciplinary artist, parents and individuals striving to preserve, protect and elevate our cultural heritage of Islam in America. We are not a proselytizing organization; our purpose is to provide forums for the academic study and artistic expression of traditional and contemporary Islamic arts, culture, history, literature and beliefs.

ICPIC's primary purpose is to preserve our rich cultural heritage and legacy to pass on to future generations and to foster intergroup awareness, respect, tolerance and multicultural understanding by way of public forums, workshops, classroom presentations, youth and senior citizen programs, festivals, art exhibitions, literature, and multimedia outlets. ICPIC is dedicated to the community development and revitalizing of our urban neighborhoods by working with other cultural/ educational/social-economic institutions, organizations, government agencies and community groups.

 

For more about ICPIC visit our homepage at ICPIC.CO