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The History of the Nation of Islam in New Orleans
 

On July the Fourth, the day of America's Independence celebration, He announced the beginning of His mission which was to restore and to resurrect His lost and found people, who were identified as the original members of the Tribe of Shabazz from the Lost Nation of Asia. The lost people of the original nation of African descent, were captured, exploited, and dehumanized to serve as servitude slaves of America for over three centuries. His mission was to teach the downtrodden and defenseless Black people a thorough Knowledge of God and of themselves, and to put them on the road to Self-Independence with a superior culture and higher civilization than they had previously experienced. He taught us the ways of love and peace, of truth and beauty. We are being led into the path of a new spiritual culture and civilization of complete harmony and peace, one of refinement in the pursuit of happiness and   Supreme and eternal joy in the Knowledge of God and the Science of everything in life.

In 1931, THE MASTER was preaching this Great Truth of salvation when He met a man named Elijah Poole in Detroit, Michigan. He chose him to be His Divine Representative in continuing this most difficult task of bringing truth and light to His lost and found people. For 3 1/2 years He taught and trained the Honorable Elijah Muhammad night and day into the profound Secret Wisdom of the Reality of God, which included the hidden knowledge of the original people who were the first founders of civilization of our Planet and who had a full knowledge of the Universal Order of Things from the beginning of the Divine Creation.

Upon the Master's departure in 1934, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad labored tirelessly to bring life to his mentally and spiritually dead people until his return to the Master in 1975. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad identified the Master as being the answer to the one that the world had been expecting for the past 2,000 years under the names Messiah, the second coming of Jesus, the Christ, Jehovah, God, and the Son of Man. When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked Him to identify Himself He replied that He was the Mahdi. He signed His name in 1933 as Master Wallace Fard Muhammad to express the meaning of One Who had come in the Early Morning Dawn of the New Millennium to lay the base for a New World Order of Peace and Righteousness on the foundation of Truth and Justice; to put down tyrants and to change the world into a Heaven on Earth.

During the Honorable Elijah Muhammad's initial 44 years, he suffered persecution & rejection from the very people whom he was appointed as a Servant of God. He was rejected and despised by the 10 percent leaders of America and the world because he revealed a Greater Truth and Wisdom that would end the old world of Satan's rule and dominion. He was not self-taught or self-made but ONE MIGHTY IN POWER had taught him what he knew not. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad had never received any more than a fourth grade education, yet his heart was true in what he saw and he saw the greatest of the Signs of his Lord. The more converts that he made in the cities, in the by-ways, and in the highways of this land, along with receiving honor and fame abroad, the powerful leaders and rulers of this world grew in opposition.

1940-1970’s

One of the cities that was blessed to receive the life giving Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad was New Orleans, Louisiana.  The early history of the Nation of Islam is still in the process of being fully researched. However, thus far we have been told by the oldest pioneer in our community that there was a brother by the name of Brother Minister Emory X Thomason who was the local minister here in the city. “Emery lived Uptown in the 13^th Ward. He was a very good musician. He would talk to me about what Elijah Muhammad was teaching; this was in the 40’s. After I was discharged from the military I later found out that he was the minister,” said Brother Tillman Muhammad.  

Recently we were able to gather more information on Brother Emery X from his oldest son Karriem Sharif. Brother Karriem said that his father was one of the top musicians coming out of New Orleans in the mid-50's. Some regarded him as the "...baddest since Louis Armstrong." He traveled to Chicago and was introduced to the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. "My father decided to give up his pursuit of a musical career to return to New Orleans to teach Islam. He was the first to bring Islam to New Orleans," said Brother Karriem. This fact was later confirmed by Elijah Jr. who told Brother Karriem at the funeral of his father in 1998, "That your father was the first to bring the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to the city of New Orleans." Brother Emery is said to have worked very close with the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the National laborers.

"My father would make statements that were very bold for that time. He also traveled to various cities in Louisiana and Mississippi setting up temples. In 1966 or 67 he moved to Bogalusa, La. and stated a temple. He would always take me with him. He later moved to Chicago in 1973." Brother Emery was married to Sister Aidah and was the father of four - Laila, Karriem, Jamil and Hallema.

Brother Tillman went on to say that there was a brother by the name of Sidney X, from Philadelphia who served as the minister when he (Brother Tillman) finally join the ranks. Brother Tillman said at that time they were meeting at 1817 Claiborne, “We would go out with the Muhammad Speaks at 4am in the morning. We were very militant; this is why I fear no one but Allah today.” We are still in the process of finding out more information about the Nation of Islam’s history when the mosque was located on Fourth and Magnolia, blocks away from the Magnolia Housing Development.

Brother Tillman was blessed with the opportunity of personally meeting the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad during the 1973 Saviours’ Day Convention. “I had traveled to Chicago several times; however, my first time meeting the Messenger was in 1973. I stayed at the YMCA with a brother who was the minister in Baton Rouge. That brother could teach on pork very well.  We were in our bakery and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad walked in and began to greet and talk to each of us. He told us how much he loved our people and how he wanted to secure some land for them. He told us he was thinking about large tracts of land not 10,000 acres but 100,000 acres. He said he wanted to grow food that our people would need, because a time was coming where a famine would take place and our people would starve. As he talked about how our people would suffer, a sadness came over me and I believe he sensed it. He then began to talk about how the acres of land would help us. As he talked the sadness was lifted up and I felt like I was being lifted up from off of the earth,” said Brother Tillman.

On August 26, 2006 we were blessed to receive more information about the history of the Nation of Islam in New Orleans by another pioneer here in the city-Brother Imam Nashid Salahuddin (formerly known as Murray X). Brother Imam told us the following information. Brother Louis X (now known as H. Malik Muhammad) during the mid-50’s started reading the articles written by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the Pittsburg Courier Newspaper. He was so impressed by the Teachings that he stared spreading the word to others in the community. About a year later Emory X (now known as Umar Shareef) a professional trumpet player from New Orleans had joined the Nation while in Chicago. He came back home to teach Islam in the city, he and Brother Louis X came together and decided that since Brother Emory X was more knowledgeable about the Teaching he should be the representative. Meetings were held in various areas of the city in the early days including St. Phillip, Orleans Avenue, Claiborne Avenue and Ursuline Street. Many of the brothers who were accepting Islam during those days had some kind of trade, like carpenters, brick layers, cooks and etc.

During the early sixties Brother Sidney X (now known as Katib Hassan) was sent to New Orleans to become the minister; Temple #46 was soon established on 2626 Magnolia Street. Malcolm X came to the city several times after becoming the National Representative of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. During the mid-60’s the uprisings on the college campuses and the students’ desire for Black Studies Programs; the Nation began to attract many SUNO (Southern University of New Orleans) Xavier and Dillard University students, Dillard is where Brother Harold X (known as Khalid Muhammad) was enrolled as a student.

Sister Rosedell X (now known as Mini'imah Shabazz) accepted the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1964.  However, she was first introduced to the Teachings at the young age of 15 by her sister's friend Percy Taplett. One day the brother invited Sister Rosedell to the Sunday meeting, he promised to treat her to a Muslim meal if she attended. The following Sunday Sister Rosedell, her sister and two friends attended the meeting. Brother Sidney X was the minister at that time and the meeting was held on Claiborne Avenue. "I had never heard what he was teaching before. As I listened I continued to ask myself "Why didn't I think about that?"  After that Sunday I continued to come out, but still had not joined yet."

The meetings were held on Gravier Street, Orleans Avenue before being held on 4^th and Magnolia. There were a lot of other activities held at the mosque throughout the week, such as a social gathering on Tuesday night which gave visitors an opportunity to view the Muslims in another light. "The brothers would gather with each other and play table tennis and talk and the sisters would gather with one another also. I enjoyed this time because it provided an opportunity for sisters to help each other with their dresses and Lessons. New sisters could get questions answered and the chance to learn about each other. We would gather at different sisters home to learn how to bake bread. On Thursday night MGT class was held." Despite her continued participation in nearly all of the mosque activities; Sister Rosedell had still not became a registered member.

When asked what helped her to make the decision to finally do so Sister Rosedell had the following to say, "Several things happened to help me make my decision. Once, while at the mosque there was a brother by the name of Brother Cleveland - he had a scar on his forehead. He asked me why I hadn't joined yet, since I always came out. I responded that he was right. What really sealed it for me was when I traveled to Saviours' Day to see the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. When I saw the Messenger I said to myself, "Yes, that is the Lamb!" I told Brother Minister Sidney that he would definitely have my letter when we returned."

During the early days of the mosque here in New Orleans there were not a large number of believers, however, that did not stop them from getting the work done. "We were a small group and we filled whatever position that was available. This is how I became the MGT Captain. During those days only sisters who spouses held posts would come out to the weekly meetings held at night. With this being the case my husband and I along with Brother Sidney and his wife were there doing a lot of work. Brother Sidney's wife and I would search sisters, prepare food. On Sunday, all of the sisters would out and help with security and preparing the meal." All of this helped to produce a stronger bond between the sisters. "We were one and we recognized that we needed to get our people. We believed the sooner they accepted the Teachings, the sooner we could build the Nation of Islam. Sisters who were good at greeting with people were assigned greeting posts. Those sisters who were friendly would introduce themselves to guest before and afterwards. They would explain telephone numbers and maintain contact with them. This helped to keep the guest interested. Most of the sisters were not working so they would come together use their crafts and baking skills to help raise money for charity. Two sisters would take on the responsibility to account for the money that would be used for charity. We learned different recipes from one another also."

Brother Donald 3X Chopin became a registered member of the Nation of Islam in the city of New Orleans in the year 1969. He was recruited by Brother Lionel X who was a Muhammad Speaks salesman. Prior to being fished in by Brother Lionel, Brother Donald was actively involved in the Black Power Movement. “My mentor was Jomo Kenyatta who exposed him to various groups that were working to help our people. Later myself, my brother Joseph and Hafezz formed a group call the Triangle. We would go around visiting and developing relationships with other Black organizations. The three of us would often attend meetings and events held by these organizations. All of them accepted us.

During this time Brother Kenyatta accepted the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and after that myself and the other brothers that made up the Triangle did the same.” Brother Donald became a registered member under the administration of Brother Minister George 4X. “Brother Minister George 4X was powerful. He was very rational. He combined both the spiritual and military beautifully in his talks and in his presence. Brother Minister George was also one of the ministers who wrote defenses of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the Muhammad Speaks. Brother Khalid was in the mosque under the administration of Minister George 4X. Brother Khalid who was known as Harold X back then was one of the student ministers. I can remember him talking during the opening of the meetings. I will never forget the story he told about the cat that went to dog school, which symbolized the Black and woman trying to be other than themselves. That story sold me.

Brother George 4X (now know as Khalil Aleem) replaced Brother Sidney X as the minister in the city. I eventually became Brother George’s assistant minister-Bro. Murray X. When Minster George 4X came we grew in every area. We had a restaurant and a fish market on Washington Avenue. We would later open Temple 46B in the Lower 9^th Ward along with a fish market, bakery and a school. I later became the minister at Temple 46B; this was about 1970-1972. There were over one hundred brothers selling 300 or more Muhammad Speaks a week. We had meetings that were being held on the East and Westbank including Avondale, Marrero and Algiers, this is where Brother Walter Umrani was fished into the temple. We sold papers and fish door to door. In 1973 more changes took place, Minister Ati replaced Brother George 4X and a brother by the name of Brother Hasan was sent to assist Ati. I was sent to Monore, Louisiana, I think Wali Ra’oof became minister around 1974-75.

Brother Hafezz Muhammad (1/1948-10/2006) also has fond memories of the Nation of Islam in New Orleans during the 70’s.  “I actually fell into the ranks in 1973. I had been coming out to the mosque since 1970.  I was a Nationalist then and really was not too much into God and definitely not into saving America, but I like the Teachings,” stated Brother Hafezz. “I joined the ranks in 73 after the incident that involved my friend Mark Exses took place.  We were meeting on 4^th and Magnolia at that time and Brother George 4X was the minister here in New Orleans at that time”, continued Brother Hafezz.  The mosque also had its own Muhammad University of Islam at that time. The believers pooled their resources to purchase a school bus for the children.  “It felt so good to see the young sisters dressed in their righteous school uniforms, which were blue. I was filled with joy.  We were the first to buy a bus for our children,” stated Brother Hafezz.

Brother Walter Umrani Muhammad joined the mighty ranks of Muhammad in 1974, he recalled how during that time there were two mosques in the city of New Orleans-one Uptown and the other Downtown.  “The headquarter mosque was on 4th and Magnolia, Mosque # 46.  A small single family home next to the corner building on Magnolia Street was purchased for the laborer’s offices. Our second mosque which was located in the Lower 9th ward, it was Mosque # 46B on Caffin and Galvez,” stated Brother Walter.  “The minister was Minister George 4X and Captain Yusef Muneer, formerly Captain Joseph. Captain Joseph was totally devoted to the minister yet he possessed the power and respect of very few captains I've come to know. He was a large dark skinned brother that didn't take no mess! Captain Joseph not only taught the men but he also owned his own railroad repair company where he taught and employed any brother that wanted to better himself,” Brother Walter recalled.

 Many big events have been held in the historic New Orleans Superdome. However, none was more historic than the Muhammad Appreciation Day Celebration in the Louisiana Super Dome in 1976.  “The Nation acquired the Dome for the entire day. All the public and private schools were invited to hear encouraging words and meet and hear Muhammad Ali as he performed his anti drug boxing demonstration. I personally remembered that the archdiocese, under Arch Bishop Hanan, would not allow Catholic schools to attend. But the event was a huge success. Many of the participants thought then and to this very day that Muhammad Appreciation Day was directed to Muhammad Ali and not the Messenger. That was our Saviour's Day. I pray that someday soon, we will have the entire Dome full to capacity for the National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan,” said Brother Walter.  

 
Brother Emile was born in New Orleans and when he was either 5 or 6 years old his mother decided to relocate to Los Angeles, California. Despite moving to Los Angeles, Brother Emile would still return to the city of his birth to spend his childhood summer vacations and would later tell his mother one day he would return. “While being involved in gangbanging and hustling, I saw many lose their lives to the streets. I remember telling my mother once that if I lived to reach the age of twenty, I would return to New Orleans to live. At that time many youths my age did not believe they would see twenty,” stated Brother Emile. Brother Emile first heard the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1978 and accepted in 1979 under the administration of Brother Khalid Muhammad who was the minister in L.A. Even prior to his accepting the Teachings Brother Emile had some childhood experiences with Muslims.  

"As a child I can remember seeing the Muslims out soldiering. I was leery of them because I thought they were a cult. My mother would always buy the bean pie and we would have it with our dinner. I would never eat it and would trade it for some food my brother had. I remember one day while walking to school with some friends one of them threw a rock at the Muslim school bus. The bus came to a quick stop and off of the bus came some junior Fruit. Me and my friends all broke out in separate directions, but one of my friends was caught by the Muslims, they brought him back to the bus and took him with them. Later on that day when they brought him back and we saw him again he was talking all of this Black stuff. “Man, we should not have thrown rocks at the Muslims. They are our brothers and they are trying to help Black people,” continued Brother Emile, laughing as he reflected on that experience. This run in with the Muslims and the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad would not be his last.

One day while working in a fast food restaurant another employee told him that the Honorable Minister Farrakhan was going to begin rebuilding the Nation of Islam. “I had no idea who the brother was talking about.” Brother Emile’s next shock would come from his cousin now known as Brother Mark Muhammad. “One day while smoking weed Brother Mark asked me if I knew who the Children of God are? I told him yeah the Jews. Mark told me that the Jews were not the Children of God and that the Children of God were Black people. I remember saying to him, “N#$&A are you crazy,” stated Brother Emile. Little did Brother Emile know, that in 1979 he would be a Believer in that same Teaching.

A year or so after Brother Emile’s acceptance of the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, he, Brother Mark and another relative would decide to return to New Orleans to lift up the banner of Islam. They arrived back in the city ready to go to work on July 4^th, 1980 and in 1981 the Believers attended Saviours’ Day. “Brother Mark had been in contact with Minister Akbar, who let him know that a shipment of the first Final Call Newspapers were being sent to Atlanta. We paid the travel and lodging expenses for Brother Lee and Brother Allen who traveled to Atlanta to get one bundle of papers,” continued Brother Emile. The first place in the city where they went to distribute the papers were in the Desire and Fischer Housing Developments. “In L.A. we had been trained to always go and soldier in the worst neighborhoods.” Anyone who knows anything about New Orleans knows that the Fischer and Desire Housing Developments were nothing to play with.

As time passed on Brother Mark left New Orleans to go to Houston and Brother Emile began working as an electrician. “Things kind of slowed down in the city and one day while I was driving down Canal Street I saw Brother Jamil out with the paper. We talked and I told him we had other Muslims in the city and from there we were rolling again,” stated Brother Emile.

During those early days the small group of Believers use to meet Brother Emile’s backyard. “We use to hold study group there and would study the writings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Our focus was Message To the Black Man, Our Saviour Has Arrived and the Muslim Program. We worked to memorized the Muslim Program word for word, which helped us out when we were out with the paper.”
 

Brother Emile said that he always had a love for history and this love for history inspired him to seek out pioneers who still lived in the city for the purpose of learning from their experiences. “I would seek out pioneers and talk to them about the early days and how they worked to established Islam under the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.”

In 1981 Bro. James X, known today as Brother Minister Jamil Muhammad was sent to the city to rebuild the work of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, “I came in late May of 1981.  The decision to send me there was The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan's, after an impromptu "sit-down" with Bro. Karriem Abdel-Aziz (now known as Minister Abdul Akbar Muhammad) in a Washington, DC hotel room where I happened to be on post as security for the Minister.  He asked me that day, and within a week, I was in New Orleans.  All of that came as quite a surprise to my new little wife, Angela (Jamilah)!  But she was a real soldier, and came to N.O. even though we found out that my daughter Kamilah was on the way.  All praise is due to Allah for Sis. Jamilah, for she too had a great hand in whatever I was blessed to do in New Orleans,” said Minister Jamil.

“Brother Mark's family, including their cousin Emil, were the only Muslims I learned of in the city prior to my arrival.  My coming there just put things into "official" motion, I would say.  In fact, when Minister Akbar gave me the details of my assignment from the Minister, the first persons he sent me to see and ask for support were Kalaamu Ya Salaam of The Black Collegian Magazine and Attorney Mtumishi St. Julien.  Of course, I later learned of and met great people like Muhammad Yungai and his lovely wife, who had come to New Orleans from Chicago, and others too numerous to mention. I thank Allah for them all,” continued Minister Jamil.      

Within months of arriving in the city Minister Jamil and the other believers had already organized a community event. “We met first in a mass meeting at the Marriott hotel on Canal St. in August of 1981. That meeting was notable for the blessed success it was (we prepared for an audience of 500, but well over 1000 came!), and for the fact that tragically, the tape was lost due to the untimely demise of our Brother Minister Raymond X Watlington of Houston, TX soon thereafter.  He had been the chief recording technician that night.  May Allah be forever pleased with our brother!  Minister Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad (Bro. William X at the time) joined Captain Abdul Aquil Muhammad (Bro. Rodney X) in a delegation which came all the way from Mosque #4 in Washington under the leadership of our great Brother Abdul Wali Muhammad (later to become editor of The Final Call) who was captain in DC at that time.  Boy was I glad to see them!  It was a magical night,” stated Brother Minister Jamil.           

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan based the rebuilding of the Nation of Islam on the idea of Self-Improvement Study sessions, which helped give old and new believers the opportunity to grow in their understanding of the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. This strategy was used by Minister Jamil and others as they labored in the city of New Orleans. “As for regular study group meetings, they were held in the house at 4950 Venus Street, where Bro. Carlton, Sis. Amy, Bro. Alan (all siblings of Brother Mark from Houston) lived at the time.  Believe it or not, in order to save time and commuting expense from Metairie, Jamilah and I moved into the same small house.  Talk about your Muslim unity!  We were tight, "sho' nuff"!  Late into the evenings we would drill and train in the driveway, until the neighbors said they'd had enough.  Then, the next night, we'd do it all again.  Praise be to Allah for the groundbreaking captaincy of Brother Emil Muhammad, who drove hard and faithfully, even back then,” Minister Jamil stated.           

After meeting on Venus Street for sometime the believers were bless to get a storefront at 2406 S. Claiborne Ave. “It was across the street from Mason's Americana Motel in uptown New Orleans.  It wasn't big as a postage stamp, but we grew and worked there as hard as we could.  That was the place where Minister Harold and Brother Art first visited us from Chester, PA and Philadelphia, respectively.  This was in 1982, after we had been to Saviours' Day at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago months before, where we learned that we had qualified for the status of "Mosque".  All praise is due to Allah!  By July of 1982, I had been re-assigned to Mosque #12 in Philadelphia,” explained Minister Jamil.  The banner of Islam in the city of New Orleans was then picked up by Brother Mark X.           

After Brother Mark came Brother Minister Harold Muhammad, who arrived in the city in October of 1987. Minister Harold who was living in Los Angeles, Ca. prior to arriving in New Orleans, was asked by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to come to the city and open a study group. “We first met at the Days In on Canal and Claiborne, from there we went to the Sun Rise Community Center off of St. Bernard Avenue, then to Bayou Road, followed by St. Marks Community Center and finally to Alost and Downman around 1991,” stated Minister Harold. The New Orleans study group received its charter in 1993. “The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan came to the city in the month of July during his 1990 “Stop the Killing” tour. On the 13^th the Minister spoke at a banquet that had 300 people in attendance at $50.00 a plate. On the 14th he spoke to 10,000 people at the “Stop the Killing” rally. On the following day Minister Farrakhan spoke to 2,000 at the St. Theresa of the Little Child Jesus Catholic Church,” stated Minister Harold. While in the city the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan met with members of the city council, with the exception of Peggy Wilson and Mike Early. The Minister was also given the “Key of the City”.       

The historic “Great Debate” between the late Dr. Khalid Muhammad (Parts of the debate - part 1 & 2 can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Mo_PCF5xs&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMFNQxlXkds&feature=related) and Caucasian lawyer took place at the Low’s Theater on Canal Street. The debate was about the racial identity of the Jesus. For many of the believers and those who were in attendance, this debate was one for the record books. Brother Khalid ran through the lawyer’s argument like an 18-wheeler driving at full speed. His academic presentation about Jesus being a man of color was full of “Shock and Awe.”            

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan came to the city of New Orleans again in 1994 as he traveled the country mobilizing for the Historic Million Man March. All throughout America the Minister held “men only meetings” inspiring Black men to reclaim their destinies and take back their communities. At the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans 10,000 Black men came out to see him. “At this time the videotape lectures of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was being shown on Cox Cable five days a week and twice on Friday’s. He could also be heard on the radio every Sunday,” said Minister Harold Muhammad. Minister Harold went on to minister in Baton Rouge, La., Fort Worth, Tx. and later returned to the city of New Orleans and served as the Co-Chair of the New Orleans Local Organizing Committee.           

In 1994 Brother Captain Richard Muhammad was appointed to the position of minister of Muhammad’s Mosque #46. Minister Richard and staff shouldered the responsibility of galvanizing Black men to make it to Washington, D.C. by train, car or bus for the Historic Million Man March. To accomplish this, the Local Organizing Committee for the Million Man March was established and a variety of community activists aided in the effort.  Black women also helped to make this effort successful. Departing for the march from the parking lot of the Plaza Mall in Eastern New Orleans, hundreds of Black men headed to Washington, D.C. not knowing they were about to be written in history as being participants in the largest march ever to take place in America. On October 16, 1995, 2 million Black men from different educational, political, religious, and economic backgrounds came together and showed the world an image of Black men that had not been seen since we were in rulership.            

Brother Minister Richard later left New Orleans and continued to work at the National Headquarters of the Nation of Islam in Chicago, Illinois.  He is now the minister of the Cleveland, Ohio mosque.

2000-Present           

In the late 1990’s Mosque #46 came under the leadership of Brother Minister Dwayne Muhammad.  Under Brother Minister Duane’s administration the believers pooled their resources and purchased the property that is located at 4201 Downman and Alost. In 1997 the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan came to the city and spoke at the Mahalia Jackson Theater to nearly 2,000 people. The lecture was titled, “Our Genesis.” The Believers were further blessed when the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan spoke to the Believers in the mosque during a Believers Meeting.

The first local Holy Day of Atonement was held on the campus of Southern University in New Orleans in 1998.  Minister Farrakhan addressed the nation live via satellite. During the address the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan talked about the need for the country of America to atone for its sins and he pointed out the hypocrisy surrounding the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal.           

Brother Minister Dwayne and the believers also mobilized the city of New Orleans to participate in the Million Family March on October 16, 2000.  The Million Family March showed how the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is able to attract cross sections of the U.S. population.  The composition of the attendees at the march ranged from Ortorodox Jews, Koreans to members of street organizations.           

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan returned to the city of New Orleans immediately after coming off of a World Friendship Tour and participated in the Panorama of Truth Conference sponsored by Reverend Johnnie Colemon a dear friend of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan on July 25, 2002. The mayor of New Orleans (C. Ray Nagin) and the former New Orleans Police Chief (Edwin Compass) came out to hear the message delivered by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.  

In July of 2002 Brother Captain Willie Muhammad was appointed as the interim minister by Southwest Regional Minister Robert Muhammad.  In November of that same year after a meeting with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan during a Regional laborers meeting the decision to make Brother Captain Willie the official minister of Muhammad Mosque #46 was made. The first local Saviours' Day address was held in the city in February 2003, this marked the first time that Saviours’ Day was held in the city of New Orleans; it was held on the campus of Southern University of New Orleans. The local mosque hosted this annual event in the city for two additional years. 

The mosque had several community outreach activities such as the Monthly Feed the Homeless Program (started by Sister Captain Angele Muhammad and the M.G.T.), Annual Back To School Supplies Giveaway, which was held in various housing developments around the city, the first State F.O.I. Meeting (organized by Brother Captain Bryan and his staff), where Minister Jabril Muhammad address the Fruit of Islam via telephone conference call, Jumah prayer service, Black Marriage Day Weekend Celebration (organized by Sister Protocol Phyllis Muhammad).   The believers were also blessed to be visited by Min. Abdul Rahman Muhammad and the now Southern Regional Minister Sharieff Muhammad    

While the city of New Orleans was faced with a shortage of summer programs for its youth, a Bro. Errol Muhammad of Mosque #46 who returned to the city after Katrina, began formulating plans to open a summer camp for the children of the believers. “After contemplating on the next best step to we as believers could take to regain our position as vanguards in our community, I proposed to Minister Willie the idea of starting a summer camp. He immediately agreed and fully supported the idea and suggested that I carry out the vision I had for our children,” stated Bro. Errol Muhammad.

“After contemplating on the next best step to we as believers could take to regain our position as vanguards in our community, I proposed to Minister Willie the idea of starting a summer camp. He immediately agreed and fully supported the idea and suggested that I carry out the vision I had for our children,” stated Bro. Errol Muhammad. Bro. Errol and his advisors went to work. Through telephone conferences and meetings the structure; curriculum and summer activities were planned. “Due to our ultimate goal of opening an actual school, we named the camp Muhammad’s School for Education. We want to transition from a summer camp to an actual school for our children and those of our brothers and sisters who have returned,” said Bro. Errol.