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Jan 1, 1500
Spanish slaves
A lot of African slaves owned by the Spanish were of Muslim religion, some free men, arrive to america in the early 1500's -
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muslim population
it's estimated by this time after the American revolution, the population of AA Muslims is 15% but will decline in the 1800's -
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Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA)
Founded by Noble Drew Ali in Newark, New Jersey.
Taught that Black people were of Moorish descent and should reclaim their lost identity. Drew Ali dies in 1929, and the movement splinters. -
The Birth of the Nation of Islam (NOI)
Wallace D. Fard Muhammad (aka Master Fard Muhammad) appears in Detroit and teaches a version of Islam with strong Black nationalist themes. Claims that Black people are the original people of the world and that whites are “devils” created by a scientist named Yakub. He drew on various sources, including Noble Drew Ali's Moorish Science Temple of America, black nationalist trends like Garveyism, and black-oriented forms of Freemasonry. -
The Fruit of Islam (FOI)
It was formally organized in 1932 but created in 1930, and its role was to provide discipline and protection for the Nation of Islam, as well as to promote its teachings and values within the broader community. The FOI became a central part of the Nation of Islam, particularly under Elijah Muhammad’s leadership. known for its strict military-like training and uniformed presence, emphasizing physical fitness, mental discipline, and protection of NOI members. -
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Known arrests of W.F.M
1934Police detained him, and Detroit authorities ordered him to leave the city. This was his last known public appearance before he mysteriously disappeared. Rumors that he had a criminal record under different names, nothing confirmed. Some theories suggest he was deported, imprisoned under an alias, or voluntarily disappeared -
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Expansion
NOI expands, emphasizing self-reliance, Black economic development, and separation from white society -
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Nationwide
the NOI's influence expanded through high-profile members such as the black nationalist activist Malcolm X and the boxer Muhammad Ali. Deeming it a threat to domestic security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation worked to undermine the group. -
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Racist Avengers...
The Nation of Islam (NOI) allied with white nationalist and far-right groups over shared separatist views. Malcolm X revealed NOI met with the KKK and American Nazi Party (ANP). ANP leader Rockwell attended and spoke at NOI events. In 1985, Tom Metzger donated to NOI. Despite ties, some white supremacists, like the Fourth Reich Skinheads, opposed NOI and plotted to kill Farrakhan in 1993. -
Malcolm Leaves NOI
Malcolm X leaves NOI, converts to Sunni Islam. He began denouncing Elijah Muhammad for his extramarital affairs and accused the Nation of holding back the revolutionary potential of African Americans. -
Death of Malcolm X
He is assassinated in 1965 (allegedly by NOI members).The following year, three members of the NOI were convicted of the killing. There was press speculation that the Nation's leaders were complicit, something which damaged the group's reputation; recruitment declined in the latter half of the 1960s. As the Black Power movement emerged in the late 1960s. -
More controversy
On January 18, 1973, a New York City policeman was killed during a search of a Nation of Islam mosque in Harlem, part of the Hanafi Muslim massacre. Two men, a boy, and four children were killed, with two others injured. The attack targeted Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, who had sent 117 letters accusing Elijah Muhammad of deceiving and exploiting people. -
Connections with Gaddafi
Meeting Gaddafi, His government gave the Nation a $3 million interest-free loan in 1972 to purchase its Chicago South Side centre, and another $5 million interest-free loan in 1985 to fund its black enterprise program. It later offered Farrakhan's Nation $1 billion, which the U.S. government sought to block. On taking control, Farrakhan also pursued links with various Muslim-majority countries, visiting Ghana and Libya in 1985, and embarking on a larger tour of Africa and the Middle East in 1996 -
Second resurrection movement (Elijah dies)
In 1975, Elijah Muhammad died and was succeeded by his son, Wallace Muhammad. Wallace Muhammad had had a strained relationship with his father and his father's teachings; while imprisoned in the early 1960s he had moved closer to Sunni Islam and had left the Nation on several occasions during the 1960s and 1970s, only re-joining in 1974. As leader, Wallace Muhammad launched what he called a "Second Resurrection" in the movement. Renaming it the American Society of Muslims. -
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The Dismantle
Wallace Muhammad explained that the Nation of Islam's old belief that white people were the "Devil" actually was a mental state of rebellion against Allah, not to light-skinned people themselves. Most mosques followed Wallace's reforms, but some rejected them and wanted to return to the original teachings. This led to small splinter groups in Detroit, Atlanta, and Baltimore. In 1985, Wallace Muhammad officially disbanded the organization and told his followers to join local mosques instead. -
Louis Farrakhan Revives NOI
Louis Farrakhan, dissatisfied with Warith Deen Mohammed’s reforms, re-establishes the original Nation of Islam. -
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Influence
Although Farrakhan was critical of the heavy use of themes such as sex, violence, and drugs in rap and hip hop music, during the 1980s and 1990s artists influenced by the Nation who were active in these genres played a role in spreading the Nation's message. -
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Connections🤝🫥
Farrakhan had grown concerned by the growth of gang violence, especially among African-American youths, and in 1989 launched his "Stop the Killing" campaign to combat it. He played a key role in getting two of the country's largest gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, to sign a ceasefire in May 1992. -
M.M.M
Farrakhan organized the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., becomes a historic gathering for Black men’s unity and responsibility to counter negative portrayals of black manhood. -
Leadership struggles
Louis Farrakhan suffered a heart attack, leading to concerns about his health and the future leadership of the NOI. Ongoing health issues forced Farrakhan to reduce his role in the NOI in early 21st century. Farrakhan has been criticized for making anti-Semitic remarks, including referring to Jews as "satanic" and comparing them to termites according to the ADL SPLC, classifying them as a hate group -
leadership and finance
As of 2020, the Nation of Islam had ten ministries covering areas like education, health, defense, and trade, along with a shadow ministry as a model for future governance. The supreme captain oversaw national security, holding significant power. Family ties played a key role in leadership, with connections between Elijah Muhammad's and Farrakhan's families.(picture from March 1995 but still ab economic influence)