A powerful speaker, Farrakhan is admired by many blacks both inside and outside the Nation of Islam. He is also controversial. Many people have accused him of prejudiced statements against whites and Jews. But he has argued that news reports have misrepresented his remarks and have largely ignored the achievements of the Nation of Islam. Among its accomplishments, the group has been successful in fighting the illegal drug trade in housing projects and apartment buildings. It has also helped arrange peace pacts between rival street gangs in Los Angeles and other cities.
Farrakhan was born Louis Eugene Walcott in New York City. He grew up in Boston. In 1955, Black Muslim minister Malcolm X recruited him to join the Nation of Islam. Walcott changed his name to Louis X. He adopted the name Louis Haleem Abdul Farrakhan in 1965.
In 1975, the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, died. The Black Muslims then chose one of his sons, Warith (formerly Wallace) Deen Muhammad, as their new leader. Farrakhan disagreed with the new leader's teachings, which involved the abandonment of radical black nationalism and the adoption of orthodox Sunni Islam. In 1977, Farrakhan broke away from Warith Deen Muhammad's group and formed his own Nation of Islam. Today, only Farrakhan's group uses the name Nation of Islam.
In 1995, Farrakhan became the chief organizer--and a leader--of a large rally of African American men in Washington, D.C. Known as the Million Man March, the event was designed to encourage black men to take personal responsibility for improving conditions in black communities. Crowd estimates ranged from 400,000 to more than a million.
In 1997, Farrakhan began to move closer to orthodox Sunni Islam. He adopted the orthodox Friday worship service, prayer posture, and fasting. These measures helped end 25 years of separation and hostility between Farrakhan and Mohammed. The two men declared their unity at the second International Islamic Conference in Chicago in February 2000. But they continue to lead separate movements.
Source: World Book
