The Nation of Islam is a political and religious organization inspired
by W. D. Fard and founded by Elijah Muhammad. Politically and
philosophically, it owes a debt to Marcus Garvey as well as many other
Black nationalists. Although the NOI (or the Nation, as it is often
called) has been with us since the Depression, it did not garner much
mainstream attention until the early sixties when it was featured in
the Mike Wallace documentary
The Hate That Hate Produced. Like
that early media exposure, the NOI's interaction with the rest of
America has been controversial at best. In particular, America has
had a stormy relationship with its charismatic and rather outspoken
leaders, including The
Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm
X and Minister
Louis Farrakhan. Recently, as this article is written, the stormy
nature of this relationship has been renewed with the political
fallout of the Nation's recent Million Man March on Washington.
Like all Black nationalist organizations, The Nation's relationship
with Black Americans has also been complicated. Still, one can find
them in most urban centers, with historically successful detox and
prison programs, selling bean pies and The Final
Call.