The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, 84, the erstwhile leader of the Nation of Islam and a devoted scholar whose fiery speeches reflect his many hours of study and quiet reflection, delivered his first speech to Donald Trump and the country’s government since the business mogul-turned-politician took over as president of the U.S.
The message, delivered at the Watergate Hotel in Northwest, included Farrakhan’s take on a plethora of political and social issues as well as several questions aimed at the country’s leaders as they relate to the current administration’s pending and current strategies both at home and abroad. His message also shared his concerns about the future of America and how, under Trump, it will unfold on the global stage. Farrakhan also weighed in on the domestic challenges that continue to face the nation.
The provocative head of the Muslim religious group, a position to which he was appointed by the founder and former leader of the Nation, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, spoke to an audience of well over 500 at the historic Watergate Hotel in Northwest on Thursday, Nov. 16. And while he has faced significant health problems over the past few years, the Minister appeared refreshed, revived and ready to handle the task at hand, speaking for well over two hours without interruption.
Much of his speech centered on the state of the Black male in America as well as the status of Muslims both in the U.S. and abroad. The statistics and data he shared came, in part, from research gleaned and recently published by Wesley Muhammad, Ph.D. in his book, “Understanding the Assault on The Black Man, Black Manhood and Black Masculinity.”
The author asserts that the assault on Black males is intentional and integral to the white man’s strategy of domination. Further, the author and Farrakhan both contend that this assault — both on the manhood and masculinity of Black males, has been a well-entrenched strategy first undertaken during slavery which has continued through today — all part of what he refers to as a “Global Project.”
“We must recognize that the masquerade is over. They walled us off in South Africa with apartheid. Christianity, under the Pope, has long been walled off from the poor. Even Trump wants to build a wall. But that’s not the answer,” Farrakhan said.
“It’s ironic that the president can meet with his enemies but we, as American citizens, cannot meet with those who are enemies of the U.S. without being labeled in negative terms. I’m almost 85 and have had to face threats of death time and time again. But what have I ever done except speak the truth and refuse to lie down?”
“Many of you do not know me. Many of you are afraid of me because you fear that I may hurt you as you rise in power with the white man. It was President Ronald Reagan who said the answer to the problem facing America could be found between the pages of the Bible. Americans, Muslims and Christians alike, can ill-afford to continue to embrace the foolishness to which we’ve grown accustomed.”
Farrakhan then shared what he described as a seminal moment in his life — an encounter with his deceased teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which took place 32 years ago.
“It took me this long to understand the few words he shared with me,” he said. “In short, it was a clear warning about the plans of white America for the Black community, Black male youth in particular. That plan is genocide against Blacks and it’s been carried about by the past six presidents, beginning with Richard Nixon, excluding Barack Obama. We’re the target of their war games and I’m dropping this in Mr. Trump’s lap because he’s the last one. And yes, that list even includes Bill Clinton, ‘Slick Willy,’ under whom we caught even more hell all while he wanted us to believe that he was one of us, that he was our ‘brother.’”
“In 1877, America launched the great betrayal and ended Reconstruction. The nation’s leaders made an agreement with other whites, ushering in folks like night riders and the Ku Klux Klan and putting us back on the plantation — but as sharecroppers instead of slaves.”
“Until my teacher showed me the truth, I never realized that there was a war going on in which we were the primary focus. In 1967, in the midst of the Black Power and Civil Rights Movements, whites became quite concerned because we were becoming more powerful, gaining rights that should have already been ours. Black youth were rising up. Some whites thought we, that is Blacks in the U.S. and those in Africa, Muslims specifically, needed to be separated. Reagan, who never loved us, would have had us exterminated, if he could have pulled it off.”
“We have long been a misused population. Muslims didn’t attack the U.S. on 9/11. The country needed something to unite its people after the Bush-Gore election fiasco. The aftermath of that presidential race had many people walking down Pennsylvania Avenue saying, ‘hail to the thief’—not ‘hail to the chief.’ September 11 was the answer — the method used to unite the country once more.”
“The crime bill initiated by ‘Tricky Dick’ and ‘Slick Willy’ was directed against Blacks. That’s why the laws were different for those who used cocaine versus crack. And crack was genetically engineered so that those who used it would become addicted easily. Then they simply locked us up and increased prison populations with mostly Blacks.”
“It’s all up to Trump now. Blacks have been perceived as a problem since we arrived here. When he calls out ‘fake news,’ he’s actually on to something. The mainstream media has long been in cahoots with our nation’s leaders. So, it’s not all that bad that Trump seeks to bust up a lot of the generations-old policies and institutions of the U.S. But what else will Trump do?”
“When he met earlier this summer with his chiefs of staff, he also had his generals present. Why do you need generals on hand unless you have plans to start a war? Why have the sperm counts of Black men been continually declining? Is it because of something that’s in the food we eat in our communities or the in the weed that so many Blacks regularly smoke? And are we seeing a rise in Black homosexuals because of choice or because such tendencies can be chemically induced?”
“We had a chance to get the country back on track with Obama. But like Jonah, he was a reluctant prophet. Even more, he realized that he could not follow in the evil footsteps of his predecessors.”
“As for Trump, he’s made it clear that he has no problem taking oil from other countries and that he’ll ‘bomb the heal out of ’em.’ His trip to Asia was about securing greater power and wealth for the U.S., not forming alliances. Trump is real. We see who he is. He tells us who he is. No, he’s not like those other presidents who were more like vampires with two faces — one shown during the day and another displayed at night.
“I have no animosity toward anyone. I am not an anti-Semite as some have accused me. But if being your friend means I have to deny the truth, then we cannot be friends. Blacks have but one option. We must tell the truth to this changing America. She is going down fast. American thirsts after North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries because of their vast amounts of rich minerals and oil.”
“As for his slogan that he rode through the election, Trump cannot make America great again — not in our time. She became great by stealing land from the Native Americans, enslaving Africans. But greatness cannot be sustained through thievery. It comes through humility, love of our brothers and sisters and respect for Allah.”
“America is in trouble. We cannot sit by and watch it go down the drain,” he said.