BELOIT—Debra Majeed, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Beloit College, is being remembered as a mentor to new faculty and students and a trailblazer for others to follow.
Majeed passed away in Charlotte, N.C. on Sunday due to complications following surgery, according to a message from Beloit College President Scott Bierman.
Majeed was the first African-American woman and the first Muslim to receive tenure at Beloit College. Besides these accomplishments, she was a guiding light to students and faculty, always willing to listen and assist people as they made their way through their academic challenges.
In a 2019 article, Katherine Johnston, assistant professor of history, recalled how she joined the Beloit College faculty in 2016 and Majeed became a welcoming resource for her.
“I hadn’t had a lot of mentoring as a student. But as a first-year faculty member, everything was new to me—Beloit, liberal arts college, the Midwest,” Johnston recalled.
She said Majeed helped her with guidance on how to manage her workload and other aspects of college and Midwest life.
Majeed was a part of the faculty at Beloit College for 20 years, retiring in 2020. Through the years she has been an author, scholar and advocate for many causes. She has been a board member at organizations such as Daughters of the African Atlantic Fund, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, and the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion.
“The impact that Professor Majeed has had on students, faculty, and staff during her 1999 to 2020 tenure is beyond measure,” Beloit College President Scott Bierman said in a written statement. “A role model for all of us, she was a trailblazing religious historian and teacher. A wise and compassionate mentor and friend to students and colleagues, she so loved Beloit and its people that she courageously pushed for racial equity, justice, and understanding. She was the first Black woman to earn tenure as well as the first Muslim woman to attain that status.”
When she retired, Professor Majeed was the Edwin F. Wilde Jr. Distinguished Service Professor. She published widely, most notably furthering a public understanding of Islam through her acclaimed 2016 book Polygyny: What it Means When African American Muslim Women Share Their Husbands. She received the Underkofler Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2017.
Bierman said the college is working with Majeed’s family to plan a memorial on campus in her honor.
