Movements of African-American
The "Black Muslim" movement in America, which started in the early 1900's, stems from a backlash against centuries of oppression by white Americans. By the 1920's, at the movement's beginning, slavery had been over for sixty years. Still, the status of African-Americans was still below the level of equality that they demanded, and also deserved. Beginning with Timothy Drew, (who later changed his name to Noble Drew Ali) in the 1920's, and Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in 1930, hundreds of thousands of African-Americans converted to Islam, many under the guidance of Fard's successor, Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. The term "Black Muslim" is the original term for members of the Nation of Islam. The members got this name because up until the formation of the group, Muslims in America were all immigrants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. African-Americans did not begin to convert until Drew, Fard, and Elijah Muhammad began to preach. The founding beliefs of the Nation of Islam were that African-Americans had been oppressed for too long, and that the White, Christian-dominated American society was to blame. In Fard's eyes, Islam was the "religion of the Black Man (Esposito, 209)." Elijah Muhammad furthered this id
The Nation of Islam, from the beginning, was never a true mirror of Islamic orthodoxy. The idea of Black separation and empowerment, core beliefs of the movement, were opposite to the original teachings of the Qur'an and Muhammad, which taught brotherhood and equality for all of God's people. The Nation also did not follow the five Pillars of Islam. Malcolm X, for example, spent his years in the group not even knowing the daily prayers required for all Muslims. Those years ended in 1964, as Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam, and brought many of its members with him. A main reason for him leaving was that he felt that the separatist movement of the group was not going anywhere. He called for more action, as did many other members of the group (Esposito, 212). In 1975, Elijah Muhammad died, and his son, Wallace D. Muhammad took his place. Wallace D. Muhammad, like Malcolm X, had been in years of conflict with his father and the Nation of Islam. When he took control, he immediately began to move the group into a more strictly Qur'anic position. He replaced the name "Nation of Islam" with "The World Community of Islam in the West," or WCIW. He integrated the group into traditional Sunni culture in America, and ended the racism that had been so central to the group since its inception. This lasted briefly, until in 1978, Louis Farrakhan, a member of the WITC, broke away, and instated himself as Minister of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan had long been an opponent of reform to the Nation, and decided that it was his duty to return it to the original beliefs. Although he could never bring the Nation of Islam to the power it once had, he did bring many followers back, and continues to lead to this day. Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was born in the extremely anti-Black south, an
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1214
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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