First published in 2009, this ground-breaking work introduced a new field in Africana studies and laid the groundwork for positioning the teachings of Elijah Muhammad in academia. Today, this work remains a rare opportunity for scholars and lay persons to a preview the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and its multifaceted, interdisciplinary scope. This book has the potential to change the philosophical and practical methods of education. In this revised edition, new terminology for Elijah Muhammad Studies is coined Elijahmatology. It additionally includes updated references and expanded discussion about the impact of Elijah Muhammad’s teachings in the 21st century. The book lays a foundation for situating the teachings of Elijah Muhammad in academia, identifying Africana Studies as the discipline from which it could develop into a field of study.
In the Name of Elijah Muhammad tells the story of the Nation of Islam—its rise in northern inner-city ghettos during the Great Depression through its decline following the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975 to its rejuvenation under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan. Mattias Gardell sets this story within the context of African American social history, the legacy of black nationalism, and the long but hidden Islamic presence in North America. He presents with insight and balance a detailed view of one of the most controversial yet least explored organizations in the United States—and its current leader. Beginning with Master Farad Muhammad, believed to be God in Person, Gardell examines the origins of the Nation. His research on the period of Elijah Muhammad’s long leadership draws on previously unreleased FBI files that reveal a clear picture of the bureau’s attempts to neutralize the Nation of Islam. In addition, they shed new light on the circumstances surrounding the murder of Malcolm X. With the main part of the book focused on the fortunes of the Nation after Elijah Muhammad’s death, Gardell then turns to the figure of Minister Farrakhan. From his emergence as the dominant voice of the radical black Islamic community to his leadership of the Million Man March, Farrakhan has often been portrayed as a demagogue, bigot, racist, and anti-Semite. Gardell balances the media’s view of the Nation and Farrakhan with the Nation’s own views and with the perspectives of the black community in which the organization actively works. His investigation, based on field research, taped lectures, and interviews, leads to the fullest account yet of the Nation of Islam’s ideology and theology, and its complicated relations with mainstream Islam, the black church, the Jewish community, extremist white nationalists, and the urban culture of black American youth, particularly the hip-hop movement and gangs.
Elijah Muhammad and the Supreme of Literacy explores how Elijah Muhammad framed the term literacy as contrasted with its generally known definitions and applications. The text frames a construct for understanding why Elijah Muhammad considered the science of literacy essential to the success of the Blackman and woman in America specifically, and people in general. It outlines the scriptural foundations of Muhammad’s teachings, drawn from both Bible and Qur’an. A detailed review of the course of study prescribed for his followers supplies Elijah Muhammad’s the unique perspective on both literacy and language. Examples of his study curricula are offered. A brief history of Muhammad’s own educational process is presented, with an emphasis on the pedagogy of literacy as practiced by Muhammad’s teacher, W.D. Fard. Material on the early educational focus of The Nation of Islam is introduced. And finally, general commentary on the teachings is made known through the lenses of three men in their role as teachers: W. D. Fard, teacher of Elijah Muhammad, Muhammad himself, and Minister Louis Farrakhan, student of Elijah Muhammad.
Almost four decades after his death Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) remains by far the most influential African American Muslim. Leader of the Nation of Islam movement for over thirty years and a mentor to Malcolm X, Muhammad was responsible for introducing hundreds of thousands of African Americans to Islam. In this fascinating biography Herbert Berg assesses the impact of Muhammad’s unique and intriguing perspective on Islam, and seeks to understand why he formulated it. Careful to consider Muhammad’s career within the context of the significant racial tensions of his time, this volume investigates a figure whose formulation of Islam, however divisive, forced Muslims and scholars alike to evaluate their often normative definitions of this religious tradition.
Africana Islamic Studies highlights the diverse contributions that African Americans have made to the formation of Islam in the United States. It specifically focuses on the Nation of Islam and its patriarch Elijah Muhammad with regards to the African American Islamic experience. Contributors explore topics such as gender, education, politics, and sociology from the African American perspective on Islam. This volume offers a unique view of the longstanding Islamic discourse in the United States and its impact on the American cultural landscape.
New Perspectives on the Nation of Islam contributes to the ongoing dialogue about the nature and influence of the Nation of Islam (NOI), bringing fresh insights to areas that have previously been overlooked in the scholarship of Elijah Muhammad’s NOI, the Imam W.D. Mohammed community and Louis Farrakhan’s Resurrected NOI. Bringing together contributions that explore the formation, practices, and influence of the NOI, this volume problematizes the history of the movement, its theology, and relationships with other religious movements. Contributors offer a range of diverse perspectives, making connections between the ideology of the NOI and gender, dietary restrictions and foodways, the internationalization of the movement, and the civil rights movement. This book provides a state-of-the-art overview of current scholarship on the Nation of Islam, and will be relevant to scholars of American religion and history, Islamic studies, and African American Studies.
Elijah Muhammad--Original Man Know Thyself: A Pedagogy for Black Liberation introduces students to the works of Elijah Muhammad, a thought leader who championed the development of Black education and helped to raise the consciousness of Blacks in America between 1934 and 1975. The book examines Elijah Muhammad's works and accomplishments within the context of modern education. The text begins with a biographical sketch of Elijah Muhammad and an exploration of how his life can provide a blueprint for liberation through education. Following these contextual introductions, the volume features nine selections, one of which comes from the Muhammad Speaks newspaper and the rest of which are from Elijah Muhammad's classic books, Message to the Blackman in America, How to Eat to Live, and Our Savior Has Arrived. In addition to its focus on education, the book demonstrates how the teachings of Elijah Muhammad have contributed to Africana/Black Studies. Discussion questions throughout stimulate critical thinking and challenge readers to apply the excerpted works to contemporary educational practice.
Liberation Pedagogy: Elijah Muhammad and the Art of Soul Crafting places the work of Elijah Muhammad in an educational context. Drawing from concepts in critical educational theory and Black liberation theology, it introduces to readers the contributions that Elijah Muhammad made to the education of oppressed people. It includes a comparative analysis of Paulo Freire’s work and its similarities to Elijah Muhammad’s teachings.A highlight of this book is that it explores the lives of Elijah Muhammad’s students—Minister Malcolm X, Imam Warith D. Mohammed, Minister Muhammad Ali, and Minister Louis Farrakhan—to demonstrate how his teachings touched the souls of these unlettered personalities. This book offers a liberation pedagogy that educators can use to inspire students to become life-long learners, enabling them to see the acquisition of knowledge as the vehicle to discover their unique gifts and talents.
Malcolm X's blazing, legendary autobiography, completed shortly before his assassination in 1965, depicts a remarkable life: a child born into rage and despair, who turned to street-hustling and cocaine in the Harlem ghetto, followed by prison, where he converted to the Black Muslims and honed the energy and brilliance that made him one of the most important political figures of his time - and an icon in ours. It also charts the spiritual journey that took him beyond militancy, and led to his murder, a powerful story of transformation, redemption and betrayal. Vilified by his critics as an anti-white demagogue, Malcolm X gave a voice to unheard African-Americans, bringing them pride, hope and fearlessness, and remains an inspirational and controversial figure today.
