The Ministry of Louis Farrakhan in the Nation of Islam

(Hardback)

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This is the first scholarly biography of Minister Farrakhan, leader of the controversial religious and political movement, the Nation of Islam, and challenges the popular portrayal of Farrakhan in American media as an anti-Semitic and race baiting bigot. Placing Farrakhans life and leadership in historical context, this book traces his evolution from a fiery Black Nationalist in 1960s Harlem to a respected leader in sections of the U.S and abroad, providing insights into the history of African American Islam, Black Nationalism and Islam in the West. Archives drawn on include the FBIs files on the NOI and its leaders, Farrakhans writings in the Muhammad Speaks newspaper in the 1960s and early 1970s, and lectures and interviews from the late 1970s to the present day. The book includes excerpts from first-hand interviews with those closest to Farrakhan, including NOI officials, pastors, imams, and community groups that work alongside Farrakhan and his followers. The book uncovers Farrakhans work in rebuilding the NOIs reputation in Harlem following Malcolm Xs assassination, as well as exploring his relationships with clergy and secular leaders to provide important insights into his religious life. Ultimately, Dawn Marie-Gibson argues that Farrakhans beliefs are fluid and that as such he presents himself as both a mainstream Muslim, a Christian who adheres to Black Liberation Theology and as a divinely appointed successor to and guardian of the NOIs founding beliefs.

Author Bio

Dawn-Marie Gibson is Senior Lecturer in Twentieth-Century U.S. History at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. She is co-author of African American Women Performers, co-editor of New Perspectives on the Nation of Islam (2017), author of The Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan and the Men Who Follow Him (2016), co-author of Women of the Nation: Between Black Protest and Sunni Islam (2014), and author of A History of the Nation of Islam: Race, Islam, and the Quest for Freedom (2012).