From The Final Call Newspaper

Kanye and the False Charge of Anti-Semitism

By Demetric Muhammad, Guest Columnist
- October 25, 2022

Kanye West accepts the video vanguard award at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)


German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once stated: “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

This reminds me of a very important YouTube clip of Jewish journalist David Sheen from a lecture he delivered in 2019, nearly 30 years after the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan published volume one of, “The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews.” Sheen had this powerful admission that sheds light on Schopenhauer’s three stages of truth. Sheen states:

“I wanted to find out what really went down … the Nation of Islam produced a book a bunch of decades ago called The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews. And it documented the history of Jewish involvement in the slave trade, then goes on to say, you know, Jewish involvement in slavery was massive … So I decided to not just read what people I agree with say, but also people I don’t necessarily agree with … I think that what they have to say can’t be dismissed outright if they did scholarship. So, I wanted to judge it on its own merits, so I read that book that they wrote. It was called anti-Semitic …

I felt that they also documented facts that are unassailable and they sourced it impeccably, realizing that because of their hard-right politics that they would be attacked and that credibility would be called into question. So, they footnoted it you know to the nth degree. And left tracks so that they could be followed up on and verified. …And sadly, those are truths that we have to face you know. We have a messy history we have to look at it honestly accept it and acknowledge it if we were to make amends.”—David Sheen, Chronicling Culpability

Kanye West, who not long ago changed his name to Ye, is not a scholar, journalist or academician. Ye is a leader within the world of popular culture. His recent statements on the relationship between Blacks and Jews has drawn an extreme amount of criticism and opposition. As Jewish journalist David Sheen was surprised over the truths published by Minister Farrakhan in The Secret Relationship, many who condemn Ye as an anti-Semite may be surprised to learn the essence of his critique of Jewish misconduct within the Black community has strong academic support.

Kanye West performs during FYF Fest on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP)

Ye’s wide-ranging statements and “thinking out loud” dramatic appearances in several recent interviews record him offering a curious admixture of ideas and thoughts to the court of public opinion. And even though he has been proven wrong in opining that martyr of the Black struggle—George Floyd—died of a fentanyl overdose, many of his other observations have powerful substantive support.

It should also be noted that in 2020 People Magazine reported Ye’s donating of $2 million to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. People Magazine specified that Ye created a 529 college savings plan for George Floyd’s daughter Gianna.

The Real Children of Israel

When Ye argues that Blacks are Jews, many within the court of public opinion reject this idea. Yet this idea has been a part of the religious beliefs of the Nation of Islam and other Black Hebrew communities for many years. My teacher, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan stated on June 26, 2010:

“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has said that Almighty God Allah revealed to him that the Black people of America are The Real Children of Israel. And we are The Choice of God; and that unto us He will deliver His Promise.”

Moreover, there is the growing acknowledgment among Jewish scholars that the Jews (i.e. Ashkenazi and Sephardic) are not the people whose history and journey are written of in the Bible as the Children of Israel.

Consider the words of esteemed Jewish scholar Prof. Shlomo Sands who wrote

“I was not raised as a Zionist, but like all other Israelis, I took it for granted that the Jews were a people living in Judea and that they were exiled by the Romans in 70 AD. But once I started looking at the evidence, I discovered that the kingdoms of David and Solomon were legends … Similarly, with the exile. In fact, you can’t explain Jewishness without exile. But when I started to look for history books describing the events of this exile, I couldn’t find any. Not one.”

Kanye West performs on the main Pyramid stage during the Glastonbury music festival on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at Worthy Farm, Glastonbury, England. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)

—Prof. Shlomo Sands [Professor of History, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Author of “The Invention of The Jewish People” (2009)].

Ye proclaimed in one recent interview on Drink Champs that true Anti-Semitism is equal to the degrading forms of hip-hop that White and often Jewish executives oversee and produce.

In an article for Mic.com, entitled “How Music Executives Created ‘Black’ Hip Hop for White Suburban Kids,” culture critic Tom Barnes notes:

“Raps containing gangbangers, drug dealers, pimps, and hoes were pushed to the forefront, as executives believed that the sexiness and danger of these lifestyles were what white audiences craved from the genre. These stories were crafted, packaged, and sold as representing authentic ‘blackness.’ Other core attributes of early hip-hop music, such as its political critique, social commentary, comedy, and spirituality—represented by classic groups such as A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli—were pushed to the fringe.”

Hip Hop legend Too Short is also on the record lamenting that record executive Barry Weiss refused to support him in putting out a positive hip-hop album. Weiss instead encouraged the artist to put out his raunchiest album ever.

Black Leadership Falsely Labeled

Anti-Semitic

Ye’s being labeled an anti-Semite follows a long history of Black people in prominent positions having to wear that political labeling that is designed to function as a real-life “scarlet letter.” In fact, a 2016 ADL study states that 23 percent of Black Americans are anti-Semitic.

Proof that the labeling of critics of the Jewish community or the state of Israel as anti-Semites is purely politically motivated and without merit, we cite former Israeli Education Minister Shulamit Aloni, who told Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman:

Abraham Melamed, author of The Image of Black in Jewish Culture

“Well, it’s a trick, we always use it. When from Europe someone criticizes Israel, we bring up the holocaust. When in this country people are criticizing Israel, they are [called] anti-Semitic.”

Consider some of the historical examples of Black leadership and what has become a phenomenon of their ultimate confrontation with Jewish opposition.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

“We were living in a slum apartment owned by a Jew and a number of others, and we had to have a rent strike. We were paying $94 for four run-down, shabby rooms, and we would go out on our open housing marches on Gage Park and other places and we discovered that whites with five sanitary, nice, new rooms, apartments with five rooms, were paying only $78 a month. We were paying 20 percent tax. The Negro ends up paying a color tax, and this has happened in instances where Negroes actually confronted Jews as the landlord or the storekeeper.”

Marcus Garvey

The one Black man who organized the largest Black movement in American history is the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. He described his Jewish problem in the following when he stated:

“When they wanted to get me, they had a Jewish judge try me, and a Jewish prosecutor. I would have been freed but two Jews on the jury held out against me ten hours and succeeded in convicting me, whereupon the Jewish judge gave me the maximum penalty.”

Malcolm X

The February 25, 1966, edition of the Detroit Jewish News carried an article entitled, Tragic Tale of Malcolm X: Autobiography Denies Anti-Semitism, But Is Filled with It. In the article Malcolm is lambasted for being an anti-Semite:

“Much is said about Jews, Negros relationship with them, and there are many charges against them. Malcolm played an interesting game, predicting that he would be accused of anti-Semitism and resenting it. Yet there is so much evidence of his dislike for Jews that it is impossible to view him other than anti-Semitic.”

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad

Author Marc Dollinger discussed the opposition of the Jewish leaders to the Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad when he wrote:

“Despite the Nation of Islam’s political marginalization, American Jewish Committee officials still feared [Elijah] Muhammad. His charismatic personality, willingness to confront racism in the most dramatic rhetorical terms and ability to inspire even non-believing African American listeners concerned Jewish leaders. The Nation of Islam leader, they feared, could earn the respect of his black audiences, even if they chose not to join his movement.”

Rabbi Bertram Korn. He is the author of Jews and Negro Slavery in the Old South 1789-1965

Minister Farrakhan

The ADL’s claims to represent the Jewish community are in jeopardy due to the growing number of Jewish people who agree with Minister Farrakhan. Their report entitled: Mainstreaming Anti-Semitism The Legitimation of Louis Farrakhan proposed the “no-platform” policy against the Minister:

“ADL is not going to make Farrakhan go away. What we can and should do is impose an obligation on those who deal with him, or, as in the case of universities, give him a platform. In each case, the burden should be on those who give Farrakhan some measure of credibility.”

Hiding the Truth

One of the numerous Jewish scholars of the many Jewish scholars, rabbis and historians that appear in the four-volume series, “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews,” is Rabbi Bertram Korn. He is the author of Jews and Negro Slavery in the Old South 1789-1965

He stated that he was encouraged not to publish what he found in his research:

“In this work in which I’ve been engaged for twenty-five years or more, I’ve had a lot of objections tossed at me on the part of Jews, scholars, and lay people, including my wife, ah, who think that it’s best to sweep things under the rug. That, ah, the suggestion that any Jews owned any slaves or had anything to do with the slave trade is, ah, putting a gun in the hands of the enemy…”

Similarly, scholar Abraham Melamed, author of The Image of Black in Jewish Culture exclaimed:

American Jewry is very sensitive to the issue in view of the tensions between their own and the black community in recent years. Jewish material from medieval times that even seems ‘racist’ could become explosive in the hands of anti-Semites like the black Muslims. Such elements have already made good use of the fact that among the slave traders who transported, bought and sold blacks in America in early modern times, there were Jews.

Not only do we find evidence of scholars being encouraged not to publish the truth, we see also that certain statements made by whites and Jews is not categorized as anti-Semitic.

Black criticism of Jews is the kind of criticism that Jews find most offensive. Rabbi Michael Lerner once observed:

“If a black person repeats what we say, the same words somehow become anti-Semitic.”

Consider when Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was quoted in the President Richard Nixon tapes as saying:

“The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy, and if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern.”

Black people of America are The Real Children of Israel

Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League of B’Nai B’rith said of Mr. Kissinger:

“Dr. Kissinger’s contributions to the safety and security of the U.S. and Israel have solidly established his legacy as a champion of democracy and as a committed advocate for preserving the well-being of the Jewish state of Israel. The Nixon Tapes should not change history’s verdict on the important contributions and ultimate legacy of Henry Kissinger.”

Like most in public life, Ye may be wrong on a lot of things, but as a Black billionaire, who is present in spaces most of us will never even know exists, his ideas should not be easily dismissed, and he does not deserve to be called an anti-Semite. If Black men controlled Jewish music and were responsible for Jewish artists producing and popularizing Jewish self-hatred and degradation it would be considered a scandalous outrage! Instead, the opposite is true, and when Ye or anyone else calls attention to it, we as a community need to unite and devise a plan to take control of our own music and entertainment.

Demetric Muhammad is a Memphis-based author and student minister in the Nation of Islam and a member of the Nation of Islam Research Group. Follow him on Twitter @BrotherDemetric. Read more at www.researchminister.com.

From The Final call Newspaoper

Million Man March program sparks remembrance and ongoing work needed to uplift Black community
By Toure Muhammad
- October 18, 2022

The Million Man March was held on October 16, 1995 in Washington, D.C. and attracted nearly two million Black men at the call of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Photo: Larry Downing/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images


CHICAGO—Mosque Maryam, the flagship mosque of the Nation of Islam attracted viewers via webcast and in person to commemorate the day 27 years ago when nearly two million Black men came to Washington, D.C. at the call of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

The Million Man March and Holy Day of Atonement held October 16, 1995, was an event that among other things, helped many Black people—Black youth in particular—avoid the war that was being waged on them by powerful forces within the U.S. government. An array of panelists and presenters also reminded attendees and viewers how important it is to keep the spirit, principles of atonement, unity, and the work of uplifting Black people established by the March, alive today.

The commemorative program held October 15, was presented by members of the Nation of Islam Executive Council. Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, National Assistant to Minister Farrakhan; Student Minister Abdul Arif Muhammad, Nation of Islam General Counsel; Sister A’ishah Muhammad, National Auditing Coordinator; Brother Leonard F. Muhammad, a longtime aide to Minister Farrakhan and Brother Sultan Rahman Muhammad, Student National Imam of the Nation of Islam were among presenters.

Rev. Al Sampson of Fernwood United Methodist Church in Chicago was also a panelist. The program also included several guest speakers and key organizers of the March offering reflections, observations, and the true origin and history of the historic gathering.

“Never in the history of the world has one man called forth a million men to present themselves, not to bear arms, but to atone for our shortcomings, our misgivings, our failures as men,” said Min. Ishmael Muhammad, one of several key organizers of the Million Man March, who opened the panel discussion.

“We went there answering the call of God … Because God was put first. God was in front of it. God was in it. He was behind it. And we were in harmony with his will and the result of the harmony and the obedience to His will produced peace,” he added.

Warning the people and saving lives

The call and theme for that day on Monday, October 16, 1995, was one of atonement, reconciliation and responsibility and for Black men to accept their roles as leaders and protectors of their families and communities. This type of commemoration is important because the history and impact of the Million Man March needs to be shared with today’s youth.

Min. Abdul Arif Muhammad, an expert researcher and historian who served as the Student Mid-Atlantic Regional Minister of the Nation of Islam at the time of the Million Man March, shared history about the origin of the massive gathering.

It started with the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, explained Min. Arif Muhammad. In 1963 the Eternal Leader of the Nation of Islam and his top student, Minister Farrakhan sat together watching the 1963 March on Washington. The Hon. Elijah Muhammad told the Minister that day: “One day, I’m gonna lead a march brother and we won’t leave Washington until we get what we go for–and that is justice.”

Min. Arif Muhammad also highlighted the impact of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In July 1989, Chinese tanks rolled over student demonstrators who had presented their bodies in an attempt to block the military’s advance into Tiananmen Square.

“What I saw in it. The government has no response to what was going on and my thought was when they attack us to try to commit genocide against, us the world will not react because of what they saw in Tiananmen Square,” said Min Arif Muhammad, recounting the Minister’s words.

Then, on October 23, 1989, for the first time in October, the Minister hosted Saviours’ Day in Washington, D.C. The lecture was titled, “Stop the Killing.” The following day he held a press conference where he exposed the plans of the U.S. government after receiving instructions and communication from his teacher, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

“I am here to announce today that President Bush has met with his Joint Chiefs of Staff, under the direction of General Colin Powell, to plan a war against the Black people of America, the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan, with particular emphasis on our Black youth, under the guise of a war against drug sellers, drug users, gangs and violence-all under the heading of extremely urgent national security,” said Min. Farrakhan during the October 24 press conference.

“The FBI, in preparation for this war, has stepped up its campaign against strong Black political leadership. The FBI is using dirty tactics under the guise of flushing out corrupt politicians to malign and besmirch the good name of many of our strong fighters for justice; threatening them with indictments or casting them into prisons. With other weaker leaders, the government has already promised them wealth and nearness to the centers of power and to be in their councils in exchange for their being silent when the attack finally comes,” he added.

The attack on Black youth came from all fronts, including the media.

“You saw a culture shift among our people, particularly the youth. You saw crack cocaine. You saw the lyrics in the music change from the conscious hip hop that started in the 80s and it started shifting towards gangsta rap,” explained Minister Ishmael Muhammad referencing the late 80s and early 90s. “And you saw drugs, you saw the display and portrayal of the Black male as thugs, murderers, criminals, drug users, drug pushers. And this ugly, negative image as being really directed from the media, so all of this is what is guiding and shaping the Minister in the calling of the Million Man March.”

In 1990, The Minister continued on a national “Stop the Killing” tour, where he warned Black people of what God had revealed to him concerning the war against Black people. Then, in January of 1994, roughly 12,000 attended and 3,000 were turned away for the first Men’s Only series entitled, “Let Us Make Man” at the 369th Armory in New York. It was at the meeting that Minister Farrakhan called for the Million Man March.

In the following years, images of Black people, especially Black youth were broadcast throughout the world via rap videos and violent movies including such films as Boyz N the Hood, 1991 and Menace II Society, 1993.

“I wanted to do something to show Black youth were not what Hollywood said we were. God blessed us to show Black America was not what we had been made out to be on the silver screen,” said Minister Farrakhan in The Final Call, 25 years after the Million Man March as he reflected on that day.

“So, on October 16, 1995, the capital of the greatest nation on earth and in the history of the last 6,000 years became the capital of Black America and Black people in the world. It was a day of tranquility, peace and contentment of mind never before seen in America. No crime was reported in the city of Washington that day. And if they checked, crime was down all over the country because Black men were not in the streets. They were at home in front of the television watching their brothers standing strong on the National Mall. That day frightened the enemies of our unity and the enemies of our rise. But it fulfilled the desire of Black men and women to see a day like we had never seen before.”

The world watched in amazement as nearly two million showed up on the Mall. Some tried to minimize the day by reporting low numbers. The National Park Service issued an estimate of about 400,000 attendees. The Nation of Islam disagreed and threatened to sue the Park Police to force a revision of the crowd estimate.

“They didn’t analyze photos taken at the zenith of the day which was about 1:00 p.m.,” said Minister Arif Muhammad.

Park Police had been providing such crowd estimates since the 1960s but have not provided crowd estimates at the mall since October 16, 1995.

Overcoming obstacles and the key role of Black women

During the program, Cora Masters Barry was recognized. Ms. Barry spoke via webcast during the program at Mosque Maryam about the forces that came against her late husband, Mayor Marion Barry, because he did not hesitate to open the city and its services to the Minister for the Million Man March. “The backstory is the story that we must tell,” said Ms. Barry as she talked about the January 1995 meeting her husband had with the Minister right after he won his mayoral election.

“He came back (in office) just in time for the Million Man March … He (Min. Farrakhan) explained to my husband what he wanted to do and I remember Marion simply saying, ‘OK. Let’s do it. The city is yours.’ And he was true to his word. There were a lot of repercussions on my husband. When he made that commitment and made it public, he lost people out of his cabinet; they resigned. They wrote editorials about him. They did everything they could to stop him from supporting and opening up the city to the Million Man March, which of course made him more determined to do more.”

Ms. Barry explained how it was city and federal government officials and Black clergy who were the biggest opposers to the March, but “through all of that God took care of us,” she said.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Brother Leonard Farrakhan Muhammad, Mayor Photo Ruth M

October 16 brought to Washington the top Black politicians in the country, the top preachers in the country, top artists and sports figures.

“Everybody was there, and we permitted certain leaders including Rev. Jackson to speak as long as they wanted to,” said Bro. Leonard F. Muhammad, who currently serves on the Nation of Islam’s Executive Council, but at the time was Min. Farrakhan’s chief of staff. Rev. Jackson asked the Minister how much time he had to speak. The Minister responded, “Brother, I cannot give you a time limit. You go and speak until you are finished,” shared Brother Leonard F. Muhammad.

The key role of Black women

From organizing, promoting and speaking, the impact and support of Black women was critical. Though it was a gathering of men, never has an event taken place that honored women as women were honored on the day of the Million Man March.

A key organizer of the March was Sister Claudette Muhammad, who served as the National Protocol Director of the Nation of Islam during that time but also served as the Million Man March National Deputy Director.

Fredrica Bey and Rev. Willie Wilson

Attorney and organizer Dr. E. Faye Williams and Fredrica Bey of Women In Support Of the Million Man March (WISOMMM) shared their reflections during the broadcast of the tremendous role of women, the hard work and dedication necessary to make the day a success and the pride Black women took in seeing their men that day. Both women were also major contributors to the Million Man March.

“Women were extremely instrumental in the success of the Million Man March. All praise is due to Allah (God). We helped, not just to get the word out, but to raise money and get men on the buses. We even threatened men that if they didn’t get on the bus, they could not come home,” said Sister A’ishah Muhammad during her panel remarks.

“Here in Chicago and all over the country women were instrumental in getting this thing going. In Chicago we had Sister Zakiyah Muhammad and Sister Doris Lewis and many other women who walked the streets, went to bus stops and train stops, we were everywhere. We would go door to door. We were not taking no for an answer,” Sister A’ishah Muhammad told the audience.

The women who spoke or were present at the March included Dr. Dorothy Height, a legendary leader in the civil rights struggle; Ms. Rosa Parks; Dr. Betty Shabazz and daughter Ilyasah Shabazz; humanist and poet Maya Angelou; Cora Masters Barry; Mother Khadijah Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam; Mother Tynnetta Muhammad, wife of the Hon.

Elijah Muhammad; Jacqueline Jackson, wife of Rev. Jesse Jackson; Rev. Barbara Skinner; C. Delores Tucker, Black nationalist matriarch Queen Mother Moore, and Dr. Delois Blakeley and 10-year-old Tiffany Mayo. Additionally, Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, Rep. Cardiss Collins, and Rep. Barbara Rose Collins were among Black women political leaders at the March.

Moving forward with the work

Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis also appeared via webcast to share his reflections. Rev. Chavis came aboard in the spring of 1995 to serve as the National Director for the Million Man March. “I went to Chicago and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan asked me to be the National Director of the March and a lot of his colleagues thought it would further damage his career, but Rev. Chavis saw it as an opportunity. I saw it as a blessing from God because when I heard the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan called for a Million Man March. I heard God speaking through him calling for the March.”

Before organizing was done, there were 50 state Local Organizing Committees (LOC’s) and 480 local LOC’s all over the United States.

“The reason we worked so hard is because we had faith before the work. I believed in what the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan called for. I believed that a million men would show up,” said Rev. Chavis.

The panel ended with a call to keep the spirit alive.

“The Black community is in worse shape now than it was then so if they needed us then, how much more do they need us now? So, we have to accept the challenge to get out. What man or woman having knowledge would hide it under a bushel basket? We kind of secure ourselves inside of our walls. The knowledge we have. We can’t be tired. Can’t stay tired, because there are too many problems that our people are suffering from,” said Bro. Leonard F. Muhammad.

“I pray, my prayer for today is this is a renewal and we rededicate ourselves and we set goals and objectives to get back out among the people. They miss us and they need us.”

Other presenters during the program included Student Southern Regional Minister Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad who in 1995 served as the Supreme Captain of the Nation of Islam and Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.). To view the program in its entirety, visit media.noi.org.

From The Final Call Newspaper

Healing, strengthening the Black family starts with perfect love
By Michael Z. Muhammad, Contributing Writer
- October 11, 2022





“We have to make a perfect family. And it starts with perfect love, and total commitment, not this bull-stuff that you call ‘I’m in love.’ You don’t know what love is, so God came to show us love, so that we could have perfect unions, better relationships. Relationships not based on sex. But we are Negroes—the product of the enemy: So all of our relationships are rooted in sex, and not in true love that gets you into The Mind and The Spirit and The Heart of one another.”

—The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan,

Strong Families: The Foundation of a Great Nation, August 27, 2017

Brandon Jones

Black families are not monolithic when it comes to political ideology, belief systems or in socio-economic areas. This also includes types of families: single parent households, extended families, blended families and two-parent households.

However, the critical need for healing, repairing and strengthening our marriages and families is necessary for survival. Despite the historical and deliberate targeting of the Black family for destruction through White supremacy, poverty, trauma and other factors that continue driving a wedge between Black men, women and children, Black families have endured.

Black marriage and family advocates note that among other factors, an emphasis on development and growth moving forward must include genuine communication between men and women, parents and children.

Recently, experts of various backgrounds from around the country discussed the health and well-being of the Black family with The Final Call and what is needed to repair relationships and why it is necessary. They noted that in today’s world ruled by the enemies to Black progress (Satan’s world), that the Black family must remake itself because of centuries of influence by White society that is a cause that has led to an effect which includes fractured relationships. Healing is necessary to anchor and repair the Black community so it can thrive, they pointed out.

Russell Morris is a teacher, psychologist, and private practitioner committed to helping individuals, couples, and families become stronger. He is from Wilmington, Del., and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. He told The Final Call that what he sees impacting most Black families is unresolved trauma.

 


“To address issues in Black communities, unresolved trauma in families must be acknowledged and addressed,” said Mr. Morris. “There should also be some recognition of the importance of dealing with one’s unresolved issues as an individual and as a family. Additionally, addressing those issues goes hand in hand with being able to communicate. Furthermore, there’s always the question of whether there is any real affirmation and love. Are those messages being communicated?” he added.

 


This has become more vital than ever. Given all the obstacles and challenges faced, the Black family has shown resilience and adaptability. However, communication must be a priority. Only through honest and open dialogue can families hope to address the challenges they face and build a brighter future for generations to come, experts noted.

Psychologist Brandon Jones heads the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health and The Jegna Institute. He describes the current mindset in the Black community as “institutionalized” and also states that families must undergo a shift in thinking to move forward. “There is a universal goal emphasizing security. It is not just about safety, but also about comfort. Having a sense of belonging to others in your relationships, family, friends, community, and society,” he said.

“I do not offer direct therapy to Black fathers, families, and children, but I connect them to more direct services, such as those offered in their communities,” he said. Mr. Jones spoke on one initiative, the 14th Annual Community Empowerment Through Black Men Healing conference which was held virtually in late September. Presentations included, “The Future of the Black Family,” “Using Healing Justice to Support Black Youth,” “How Does a Community Heal When It Feels Like It’s Under Attack?” and more.

Min. Farrakhan says when families “Return to Him who created the man, the woman and the family,” it puts us in a position to accept His Thoughts and His Ways. Photo: Final Call File

“While we can do much mentoring, online media is the most effective way for information and ideas to spread quickly. Our podcasts and videos discuss various topics, and we try to create a narrative within our community to help people reflect on their experiences and plan for the future,” Mr. Jones said.

Mental health practitioner Renee Morgan takes a holistic approach to healing that includes focusing on three areas: the mind, body, and spirit. Working on all three levels, Ms. Morgan said, helps her clients heal their symptoms and the underlying causes of mental health issues that are a contributing factor to erosion of relationships, including marriages and families.

“As a people, we need to recognize that we’ve been emotionally and psychologically damaged. As a result, we have been damaged by the narrative that has been put out about us being less than human. We are only three-quarters of a human being, you know, all that history. That whole genocidal plot against us still has its remnants in the behaviors we display today, the self-hatred, and the ease with which we kill one another. Life is being devalued,” she said.

“There can be no solution until we fully acknowledge the damage. We should focus on our symptomologies due to the damage to our social and psychological behaviors. To do that, we need to remove the taboo of seeking help. That’s the taboo we need to break,” she said. Ms. Morgan said therapy is a significant way for individual, family, and societal healing.

“We need to use natural alternative methods to heal ourselves emotionally and psychologically,” she said.

In her therapy, Ms. Morgan emphasizes balancing the male and female energies and points of view. “It is important that they understand who they are in a relationship with and their partner’s traumatic experiences. What did they go through? It affects how they interact with you,” she pointed out.

Marcus and Cecelia Muhammad have made it their mission to help heal and strengthen marriages. The Atlanta-based husband and wife are founders of The Marriage Keepers. Their organization specializes in assisting couples in repairing their relationships. By working with The Marriage Keepers, couples learn tools they need to build a strong and lasting marriage so vital to the health of the Black family.

“The importance of teamwork is often overlooked. It’s important to have a strong team working together for the common good. Still, too many people are unfamiliar with what effective collaboration looks like, leading them down paths where their individual needs take priority over those who depend on them most—namely family members or partners,” the couple shared.

Mr. and Mrs. Muhammad are members of the Nation of Islam and explained the importance of marriages being God-centered.

The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teach the importance of marriage and family as the cornerstone of a great nation and that God must be at the forefront.

 


“It is important to understand relationships are first built upon our individual relationship with Allah (God). It starts first by recognizing who we are as divine beings because we live in a world that’s just wicked and fallen; everything about this life will turn you from God,” said Cecelia Muhammad.

The couple has held several retreats over the years, which include husband-only and wife-only sessions and joint sessions.

“We want you to stay together and fight for your marriage. That’s why we do the Marriage retreats because it takes commitment, effort, and courage—all those things that make life worth living in general! We know most people don’t look beyond their wedding day when they get married, but true love means putting each other first above ourselves,” added Marcus Muhammad.

In the work with couples he has done over the past 20 years, Mr. Morris said one of the main objectives he gets them to work on is developing their communication skills.

“I believe you know that any issue can be addressed and resolved. If both parties involved are willing and able to communicate effectively,” he said.

“It is essential to understand the context in which a given family operates. We do the best we can with what we have, you know, we still have a strong foundation in our churches that is still important to many of us, a sense of faith and believing in something greater than ourselves,” explained Mr. Morris.

He says the Black family is improving but that, “it is still not stable.”

According to ChildTrends.org, a Maryland-based research group, “culturally, Black Americans have long highly valued romantic partnerships, marriage, and children. However, institutional and structural barriers often prevent them from being able to realize these values, particularly for those who have low incomes.”

In his message, “Understanding the Nation of Islam in the West,” Minister Farrakhan spoke on the importance of rebuilding the family and he described the destruction of the Black family as a sin of huge proportion and that as a result, the effort to rebuild the Black family must be aided by those who destroyed the family, and, the responsibility of helping must be accepted by the generations that have benefited from the institutional slavery and the destruction of our families.

He explained this will take a new understanding of God’s word and the renewing of the mind of Black people based on God.

“Again, the scripture teaches, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways. I am from above while you are from beneath,’” said Minister Farrakhan. He explained this teaches us that our thoughts and our ways are far beneath what God desires for us.

“Therefore, what we have produced as the man, the woman, and the family by our thoughts and our ways are far beneath the man, the woman and the family that Allah (God) desires for us,” the Minister added.

“So, in order for us to make a new family, we have to return to Him who created the man, the woman and the family and we must be willing to accept His Thoughts and His Ways.”

(Final Call staff contributed to this report.)

From The Final Call Newspaper

‘A message directly to us and for us’
By Charlene Muhammad, National Correspondent
- October 4, 2022





The Honorable Elijah Muhammad is indeed a true friend of the Black man and woman because his message is as relevant today as it was when he was physically among us. He worked, suffered, studied and constantly prayed for our rise. He sacrificed his own personal life to devote 44 years to the rise of our people.

—The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan,

“A True Friend: The Honorable Elijah Muhammad”

The impact and influence of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad is not solely limited to the registered members of the Nation of Islam. His declaration that he met face-to-face with and was taught by Allah (God) in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad, the long-awaited “Messiah” of the Christians and the “Mahdi” of the Muslims, and the Supreme Wisdom he taught, is still being felt today, despite deliberate efforts to write him out of history.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad turns 125-years-old on October 7, and community leaders, activists, and historians, spoke with The Final Call about his impact and influence on Black America and the world.

“He was an important leader for people of African descent, especially in North America. He was also an important influence on the religion known as Islam, which suggests global impact. And I would say further that the forces that he helped to marshal and galvanize, organizationally, likewise, have had important impact on the policies of the United States of America,” stated Dr. Gerald Horne, historian, author and professor of History at the University of Houston.

The accomplishments of the Muslims, under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s direction, were major in the areas of religion, politics, social interaction, economic development, education and international affairs for Black people. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad remains a pivotal and key global figure whose program and position will shape the destiny of the future, observers noted.

“His focus on creating newspapers and grocery stores set forth a model of collective economic self-determination that remains a guide for Black economic policy today. Elijah Muhammad was one of the influential Black men in the 20th century,” said Marc H. Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League.

“I think that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad played a major role in the historical background and the historicity of African Americans, in the impact that he made throughout the world. What really gives me the impressionable moment of his success and his legacy is economic development,” stated Dr. Charles Steele Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in the late 1950s.

“He always said that the root of the problem in America—and America is an unjust system, it’s not a justice system—it is a legal system with no justice. But what he always emphasized was that the Black man and Black people, inclusive of the wholistic approach of Black men and women is that economics is the base, and he used that through exemplifying entrepreneurship,” said Mr. Steele.

Under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s leadership, the Nation of Islam established farms, livestock and vegetable cultivation, rental housing units, private home construction and acquisitions, additional real estate purchases, food processing centers, restaurants, bakeries, lamb packing and cold storage facilities, clothing factories, banking, business league formations, import and export businesses, aviation, health care, administrative offices, shipping on land, sea and air, and more. His program of “do for self” is still being implemented today by Black entrepreneurs and businesspeople.

“That’s what we’re still lacking today, the entrepreneurship of America. And we applaud that fact, because America is a racist country. And until we are healed with the principles, not only of Elijah Muhammad, but Dr. (Martin Luther) King, and Minister Louis Farrakhan, Malcolm X, all of those great leaders, until we come together under one banner to heal America, Dr. King said America just might go to hell,” said Mr. Steele.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad made such an indelible impact, one of the most profound impacts in the 20th century on Black America, said Danny Bakewell Sr., executive publisher and chairman of the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper.

“First of all, I would say to you that most people who converted to Islam or the broad spread of Islam in America, in the African American community, came through and from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I think that’s how most families converted. And they were drawn to the message of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which was not only a message of spiritual awakening, but also an awakening of the economic and social benefits of unity in our lives. I can’t stress that enough,” stated Mr. Bakewell.

While there was a spiritual connection, the kinds of lessons that people learn when they join the Nation of Islam, or even became closely associated with the Nation of Islam, it gave them models for things that they use, in developing other organizations, their community, owning businesses and supporting each other in businesses, he explained.

“Not that people have not done that before the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, but I think he made through his message and through his commitment, an indelible imprint on Black people’s minds,” said Mr. Bakewell.

The message of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is far reaching in the broader sense, economically and educationally, Mr. Bakewell continued. “He talked about educating children, respecting women, being uncompromising about those things, and putting the interests of our people and our families ahead of everything and not letting people just give us a lot of jive … in terms of persuading us that their message—even though the message wasn’t directly to us—was good for us. He had a message that was directly to us and directly for us, and for that, we will forever be grateful, for all that he taught us,” Mr. Bakewell continued.

“We are forever grateful to him, and all that he gave us, and all that he left us with for our families and our community. We thank him and are forever grateful to him and his family for all that they sacrificed to bring a message of true purity of self, an understanding of self. … ”

Mr. Bakewell also thanked the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s top student and National Representative, Minister Louis Farrakhan. “We are appreciative of the way the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan took the Messenger’s message and continued to spread it when he took the reins of the Nation of Islam.”

As a leader in the Black Press himself, Mr. Bakewell noted that The Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s must-have newspaper, “Muhammad Speaks” was another element of life that he breathed into Black America. “The Messenger came up with his paper, his message, his 10 Point Program (The Muslim Program), and it lives to even today through The Final Call. … There’s no element of life that we live that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad didn’t touch and influence to make Black people recognize how great we were and are and showing us a blueprint for how to get there if we did not know ourselves,” concluded Mr. Bakewell.

For Efia Ngwangaza, director of the Malcolm Center for Self-Determination and WMXP 95.5 Community Radio in Greenville, South Carolina, “discipline” is the word that comes to her mind when speaking on the impact of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

“How to wake up, get up, clean up, stand up, and stay up. Even when we stepped away, we knew there was a standard to be upheld and were called back to it in one way or another. His life-saving lessons on nutrition and health helped improve the quantum and quality of our individual and collective lives,” Ms. Ngwangaza told The Final Call.

Specifically, she is referring to “How To Eat To Live,” Books 1 and 2, by which the Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches on the proper foods to eat to improve the physical, spiritual and mental health of Black people to prevent illnesses and prolong life.

“The male and female leaders he fielded contributed to the clarity, drive, and direction that is our struggle for self-determined nationhood and global icons who restored our reputation and place in world affairs,” added Ms. Ngwangaza.

Fred Hampton Jr., son of Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton Sr., agreed that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was so effective and impactful in various areas of Black life.

 


“I was born in 1969, but the images and the impact of discipline of the Nation of Islam, the impact of not just the speaking of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, but just the certain images of discipline, of seeing those formations and how we can transcend generational lives and how certain things impact you, they stick in your mind,” explained Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad created a movement that was effective in lifting Black men from the clutches of the criminal justice system and transforming them into productive members of the community, he added.

The impact of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is reflected well today, said Pam Africa, of the MOVE Organization. “I’ve found out when I go across the country, I’m greeted by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s followers, under Minister Louis Farrakhan. It has always been for me, a pleasure and honor to enjoy the fruits of his labor and all through the Nation itself,” she stated.

“The examples of young men coming out the prison, the work that is being done in the prison, the work that’s being done in the streets, and this is the work, this is the love, and all that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad has gifted to all of us. People that are non-Muslims and people that are Muslims benefit from the great wisdom, the great humanity of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,” said Ms. Africa.

She witnessed the global reach of Mr. Muhammad at a restaurant, during a recent visit to France, she told The Final Call. “There was a brother there. I did not know that the Nation was there. You recognize them by the bow ties, their suits and the way they dress, the way they talk. And I asked him, are you a member of the Nation of Islam, Minister Louis Farrakhan? The first thing they did was tell me the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and then they went into Minister Farrakhan,” elaborated Ms. Africa.

“For me, this is what I find, and this is why I have the utmost respect, because I see the work that he has done. And I do also understand that a lot of people that will come in, everybody’s not strong, they waver. But I have seen a whole lot of people come back to the Nation because of the work that they’ve done. That’s my first-hand account of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,” she said.

For Dorsey Nunn, executive director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad helped open up prayer in prison in a way that it wasn’t previously available.

“I think the Nation of Islam helped fight for people’s right to pray. That ultimately included Native Americans being able to have sweat lodges and everything else. I think that he was the tip of the spear,” said Mr. Nunn. “I think that his impact on the Black male has made a lot of them stand up and be stronger than they would have been without him,” he added.

The impact and influence of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad also reached other members of the Original Black Nation, including “so-called Latinos” and Native Americans/Indigenous.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president of Hip Hop Caucus, noted that the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad have had a deep impact on Black, Brown and Indigenous communities across America, and his influence on poetry and many musical genres, especially Hip Hop, have and will shape Black consciousness and humanity for generations.

Hector Perez Pacheco, a Quechua from the Confederations of Tawantisuyu, tasked with protecting the ceremonies of his ancestors and Native People, has been interacting with the Nation of Islam for over 30 years. Wherever he has traveled to protect sacred traditions and fight for sovereignty of Indigenous people, the followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, under the guidance of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, always support his efforts, he stated.

“At times, elders would approach me and say, those brothers (Muslims) were there, way, way, way back, 20-30 years ago, prior to me coming. … And so, to remember the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad is to understand and connect to The Teachings,” said Mr. Pacheco.

He said he sees the parallel between the teachings of Indigenous People and the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the actions of the people, all connected based on philosophies, principles, and values, he said. He also pointed out the important theme of unity among the Original Family.


“The manifestation of the Teaching is making that Teaching into reality. And we could just learn something, but if you don’t implement, it has no value. What I witnessed, and I can testify that I’ve seen that Teaching manifest among the Believers. I have many stories of going from the East to the West and North and the South, and I have called upon brothers and sisters of the Nation, and they have stood side-by-side with the Indigenous people to do the work that we need to do for our communities.”

The Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad “are translated to all aspects of life,” added Mr. Pacheco. “You know how to be a good father, a good mother, a good friend, a good co-worker, a good citizen, a good student, a good teacher. … It’s making the person a whole person, a productive person in this universe,” said Mr. Pacheco.