Black Muslim movement - Research Paper Example

Elijah Muhammad ensured that the Black Nationalist and self-governance (the group called Nation of Islam) ideals were able to reach the poor black people and those in prison. Through his leadership the organization drastically grew from 8,000 members and accumulated over 100,000 members in the 1950s and 1960s especially after the involvement of its spokesperson or minister Malcolm X 2. However, as time went on there was friction and disagreements between Muhammad and Malcolm that resulted in Malcolm being suspended in 1963 and subsequently being assassinated in 1965 most likely by Muhammad followers3.

Muhammad finally died in 1975, and ultimately his son Wallace D. Muhammad (Later changed to Warith Deen Mohammed) assumed the leadership and his teachings did not insinuate much violence to black Muslims like his father. Wallace pushed for the organization to adhere to the teachings of international Islamic community that was more inclined to the Sunni Islamic norms while he also changed the group to World Community of al-Islam with its ground in the West, and later it became American Muslim Mission then to American Society of Muslims.

In 1977, some members split from this group through the guidance of Louis Farrakhan since they felt that they needed more radical changes. They called themselves the Nation of Islam and they focused on reliving the teachings or footsteps of Elijah Muhammad. The Nation of Islam began accommodating traditional Islamic norms in the 1990s while Farrakhan and Mohammed publicly claimed that they had ended their long rivalry in the year 20004. Background/History of Black Islam Movement The Black Muslim Movement or what is popularly called Nation of Islam (NOI) came into being in Detroit, Michigan through the leadership of Wallace Fard Muhammad in the year 1930.

The Black Muslim followers refereed to Fard as the “Mullah Fard,” “the Prophet,” he was also known as “The Great Mahdi” and even “The Savior.” His teachings to the black were that they were part of an early and long forgotten tribe called Shabazz. He cited that all white people were “devils” and therefore, a war would ensue among all races in the world and these “white devils” will ultimately be destroyed. In 1934, Fard vanished mysterious (possibly murdered by rivals) and in that instant one of his devoted followers Elijah Poole became the leader while he changed his name to Elijah Mohammed.

An uprising occurred in the Temple at Detroit and therefore, Elijah had to move to Chicago where he attracted many black followers as they wished to be part of the rebellion against white power5. Elijah had been sentenced to five years (1942-1946) in jail since he agreed with Hitler and Nazi ideas while motivating blacks to refrain from joining the American army. During his time in prison, Mohammed realized that black convicts were especially the best people to support the anti-white and anti-Jewish sentiments in favor of black Muslims.

Mohammad embarked spreading a message that encouraged Nazi support and black movement ideologies which converted many blacks to the group by the time he left the prison system. In 1947, a black drug dealer, robber, and rapist called Malcolm Little heard about the Black Muslims group during his time in Michigan state penitentiary. Malcolm Little stopped smoking, gambling and refrained from eating pork in a bid to adhere to the Muslim