|
Farrakhan, Louis, 1933-,
African-American religious leader, b. New York City, as Louis Eugene
Walcott. A former calypso singer known as The Charmer, he joined the Nation
of Islam (Black
Muslims) in 1955, eventually becoming minister of the Harlem Temple
after
Malcolm X broke with the religious group. After Elijah
Muhammad died and his son steered the Black Muslims toward
Sunni
Islamic practice, Farrakhan founded (1977) a reorganized Nation of Islam
that adhered to the elder Muhammad's teachings. Often denounced as
anti-Semitic and antiwhite, Farrakhan has stridently criticized white
Americans while emphasizing African-American self-improvement. In 1995 he
was one of the chief organizers of the Million Man March, a day of renewal
for African-American men in Washington, D.C. In 2000, Farrakhan publicly
reconciled with W. Deen Muhammad, Elijah's son.
source:
http://www.historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl?ID=86390 |