Oral History Interview with Khalipha Kane on September 1, 2020

Oral history interview with Khalipha Kane conducted by Naimah Siddiq on September 1, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Naimah Siddiq. Khalipha Kane was born on December 23,1975 in Detroit. Her parents were born in Detroit and New Jersey, and she traces her family’s roots back to the southern United States. Kane was born into a Christian family and attended Catholic schools for part of her education. As a young adult, Kane became a member of the Shrine of the Black Madonna where she was influenced by Black Christian Nationalism. A few years later, she began to learn about Islam after a friend gave her a copy of the Qur’an. Kane embraced Islam after attending classes and services at Masjid Al-Haqq and took her shahada with Al-Haqq’s founder, Imam Luqman Abdullah. Kane has pursued several careers during the course of her life. After graduating from Redford High School, she attended stenography school and worked for some time as a court reporter. After several years, Kane was inspired to draw on her talents as a chef and pursue a career in the culinary arts. Over the years, Kane has established a successful catering business called Khalipha’s Katering and draws on knowledge passed down from her grandmother to specialize in Halal Soul Food. To produce this cuisine, Kane adjusts her family’s recipes to accommodate halal dietary restrictions. In the interview, Kane reflects on her family’s southern legacy and how it has helped her create her own style of cooking. After developing her catering business, Kane purchased a food truck, and Khalipha’s Mobile Kitchen allows her to expand her business’s reach across various communities. Kane combines her career in food service with her religious ethics by partnering with Islamic organizations to provide free iftar meals for the community during Ramadan. She volunteers on the Sister’s Committee at Dar Al-Rahma, where she helps organize the menu for programs and contributes to building the center in a variety of ways.https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dream-storytelling-interviews/1020/thumbnail.jp