IB History The Nation of Islam Notes

The Gospel according to Fard:

• Wallace D. Fard, founder of the Nation of Islam, was reportedly a door-to-door fabric salesman who mysteriously appeared in Detroit in the early 1930s; some stories say he experienced a spiritual awakening after being found near a dumpster, inspiring his unique religious teachings.
• According to the Nation of Islam’s theology as told by Fard, Yacub was a Black scientist who lived around 6,600 years ago.
• He is said to have created the white race through a process of selective breeding (sometimes called "grafting") not just as a neutral scientific experiment, but as an act of rebellion and betrayal against the original Black people.
• Yacub’s creation of the white race is portrayed as a deliberate act that led to the eventual domination and oppression of Black people by whites.
• The NOI narrative includes the idea that Yacub’s actions were a betrayal of the original righteous Black scientists and leaders. The righteous Black scientists had designed a peaceful and just society, but Yacub’s experiment led to the creation of a deceitful and violent people (whites) who would dominate and enslave the original people.
• This betrayal is central to the NOI’s view of racial history, explaining white supremacy as the consequence of this ancient act.
• The Nation of Islam also teaches about a "mother ship," a large spacecraft that will return to Earth to rescue the righteous Black people.
• This mythological belief symbolizes divine intervention and ultimate salvation for the oppressed. The mother ship represents a future escape and redemption for Black people, reinforcing the NOI’s message of hope and cosmic justice.