Mafaz Al-Suwaidan is a PhD candidate in Philosophy of Religion focused on Islam and Modern Thought, with a secondary degree in African and African American Studies. She holds a Master of Theological Study (MTS) degree in Islamic Studies, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing, and a Bachelor of Journalism. Her research interests include modern Islamic thought, Muslim movements, West African Sufism, Black Power studies, and religion in literature. Her dissertation explores the religious thought and philosophies of early 20th-century Muslim social-political movements in Egypt, Senegal, and the U.S.; reconstructing and reconsidering key elements of their thinking against a backdrop of Western liberalism.