Georgia Mayor Converts to Islam

In 1999 Jack Ellis became the first African American mayor of Macon, Georgia, and now he has become its first Muslim mayor. Although raised as a Christian, Ellis has been studying the Qur’an for several years, and he says that Islam is a part of his family history, since his ancestors practiced Islam before coming to America as slaves. During a visit in December to Senegal in west Africa, Ellis went through the conversion ceremony to become a Sunni Muslim. Now he is trying to change his name to Hakim Mansour Ellis. Changing one's name is favorable for new converts, but it is not a requirement.

The mayor never anticipated that his conversion would attract national media attention. His story was even covered by CNN.

Ellis is unsure how his conversion will affect his political career, considering he lives in a state dominated by Baptist churches. His term expires this year, but he does not yet have a long term plan, nor is he concerned right now about how people will react to his conversion. While Ellis is not the first Muslim to hold a political office, he may be the first one to convert to Islam while in office.