“White Devils”: The Nation of Islam - Origins, Recruitment and the F.B.I.

Abstract

The Nation of Islam has often been described as a radical and aggressive social and political movement occurring simultaneously with the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Founded in 1930 by a mysterious traveling peddler, the Nation of Islam began recruiting followers that same year. After the founder disappeared, with his “messenger” prophesizing him as God in human form, the Nation of Islam began to expand in number of members and in popularity. But it wasn’t until a bright, intelligent ex-convict was converted that we started to see the numbers of the Nation of Islam increase. How had this increase in popularity happened when the Nation of Islam teaches that the most popular religion (Christianity) and the race majority (whites) were taught to be the “devil”? This essay will cover the history of the Nation of Islam, discuss the ways in which the Nation was effective in recruiting, and opposition to the religion.