NATION OF ISLAM
History
The Nation of Islam was an African American movement and organization that took roots
in the United States in the year 1930. It was primarily known for its teachings which combined
elements within the traditional Islamic way of doing things and the Black Nationalist ideas that
were so prominent at the time because of the issue of racism and all forms of discrimination and
oppression surrounding the black community. Islam managed to be brought to the U.S by the
African Muslim slaves. Regardless of its inception into the United States, it was able to retain its
so called “minuscule” presence all through the 19th century, a time when discrimination and
oppression towards the black man was the order of the day.
Wallace D. Fard founded the Nation of Islam in Detroit, Michigan and he appointed his
able and loyal assistant, Elijah Muhammad, who was previously or originally referred to as
Elijah Poole to establish another center in Chicago. Problems happened to arise in the
headquarters at Detroit and this prompted Elijah Muhammad to step in and resolve the issues.
With the retirement of Fard, Elijah taught that Fard was indeed a prophet and that he was a
prophet and savior. However, Elijah described him as not having the leadership skills required
to run the movement or even the coherent theology that was required to offer guidance and
teachings as it was supposed to be done.
Prominent Individuals: Malcolm X
Malcolm X, known by his birth name as Malcolm Little, was born on the 19th of May,
1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the fourth of the seven children who were born to Louise
Helen Little and Earl Little. His father, Earl was an outspoken Baptist lay speaker and severed as
This study source was downloaded by 100000856941565 from CourseHero.com on 11-23-2022 02:04:14 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/124834189/American-History-and-Governmentdocx/
, the local leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) where his wife was
the secretary and “branch reporter”. Her tasks involved sending local news involving UNIA
activities to the Negro World. Because of their involvement in the black supremacy race, they
happened to instill self-reliance together with black pride in their children, most importantly in
Malcolm. In a statement provided by Malcolm later in life, he said that white violence managed
to kill four of his father’s brothers (Assensoh & Alex-Assensoh, 2013).
When it comes to education, Malcolm was able to attend West Junior High School in
Lansing and later on the Mason High School in Mason, Michigan. However, he left high school
in 1941 and was not able to graduate. This event was propagated by a white teacher who boldly
told him that pursuing law, at the time, was not a realistic and fruitful goal for a nigger. With
this revelation, Malcom X was of the opinion that the white world was no place for a black man
who wanted to pursue his career regardless of the possession of immense talent and
determination. It should be noted that from the age of 14 to 21, Malcom was able to get a
number of jobs while living with his half-sister Ella Little-Collins in Roxbury which was termed
as a widely proclaimed African-American neighborhood in Boston (Assensoh & Alex-
Assensoh, 2013).
After having some breakthroughs and challenges in Flint, he was able to make his way to
Harlem in New York City in 1943 where he was able to secure some employment with the New
Haven Railroad. It was here that he managed to get into all manner of crime such as drug
dealing, racketeering, pimping, and robbery and gambling. Additionally, when reading some of
Malcolm X’s biographies, there are claims that he engaged in sex with other men for money
(Coates, 2011). However, these claims have been squashed by those who knew him. He
managed to be recruited for the military service but he failed in the mental examination because
of his rambling and his numerous awkward declarations. Late 1945, Malcolm returned to Boston
This study source was downloaded by 100000856941565 from CourseHero.com on 11-23-2022 02:04:14 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/124834189/American-History-and-Governmentdocx/
History
The Nation of Islam was an African American movement and organization that took roots
in the United States in the year 1930. It was primarily known for its teachings which combined
elements within the traditional Islamic way of doing things and the Black Nationalist ideas that
were so prominent at the time because of the issue of racism and all forms of discrimination and
oppression surrounding the black community. Islam managed to be brought to the U.S by the
African Muslim slaves. Regardless of its inception into the United States, it was able to retain its
so called “minuscule” presence all through the 19th century, a time when discrimination and
oppression towards the black man was the order of the day.
Wallace D. Fard founded the Nation of Islam in Detroit, Michigan and he appointed his
able and loyal assistant, Elijah Muhammad, who was previously or originally referred to as
Elijah Poole to establish another center in Chicago. Problems happened to arise in the
headquarters at Detroit and this prompted Elijah Muhammad to step in and resolve the issues.
With the retirement of Fard, Elijah taught that Fard was indeed a prophet and that he was a
prophet and savior. However, Elijah described him as not having the leadership skills required
to run the movement or even the coherent theology that was required to offer guidance and
teachings as it was supposed to be done.
Prominent Individuals: Malcolm X
Malcolm X, known by his birth name as Malcolm Little, was born on the 19th of May,
1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the fourth of the seven children who were born to Louise
Helen Little and Earl Little. His father, Earl was an outspoken Baptist lay speaker and severed as
This study source was downloaded by 100000856941565 from CourseHero.com on 11-23-2022 02:04:14 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/124834189/American-History-and-Governmentdocx/
, the local leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) where his wife was
the secretary and “branch reporter”. Her tasks involved sending local news involving UNIA
activities to the Negro World. Because of their involvement in the black supremacy race, they
happened to instill self-reliance together with black pride in their children, most importantly in
Malcolm. In a statement provided by Malcolm later in life, he said that white violence managed
to kill four of his father’s brothers (Assensoh & Alex-Assensoh, 2013).
When it comes to education, Malcolm was able to attend West Junior High School in
Lansing and later on the Mason High School in Mason, Michigan. However, he left high school
in 1941 and was not able to graduate. This event was propagated by a white teacher who boldly
told him that pursuing law, at the time, was not a realistic and fruitful goal for a nigger. With
this revelation, Malcom X was of the opinion that the white world was no place for a black man
who wanted to pursue his career regardless of the possession of immense talent and
determination. It should be noted that from the age of 14 to 21, Malcom was able to get a
number of jobs while living with his half-sister Ella Little-Collins in Roxbury which was termed
as a widely proclaimed African-American neighborhood in Boston (Assensoh & Alex-
Assensoh, 2013).
After having some breakthroughs and challenges in Flint, he was able to make his way to
Harlem in New York City in 1943 where he was able to secure some employment with the New
Haven Railroad. It was here that he managed to get into all manner of crime such as drug
dealing, racketeering, pimping, and robbery and gambling. Additionally, when reading some of
Malcolm X’s biographies, there are claims that he engaged in sex with other men for money
(Coates, 2011). However, these claims have been squashed by those who knew him. He
managed to be recruited for the military service but he failed in the mental examination because
of his rambling and his numerous awkward declarations. Late 1945, Malcolm returned to Boston
This study source was downloaded by 100000856941565 from CourseHero.com on 11-23-2022 02:04:14 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/124834189/American-History-and-Governmentdocx/
