Voice of the Nation of Islam... Muhammad Ali...
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February 23, 1968
MUHAMMAD SPEAKS, Chicago, Illinois, February 23, 1968
* Nation of Islam religious movement
* Elijah Muhammad - founder
* Fight for civil rights era original
This newspaper was one of the most widely-read ever produced by an African American organization. Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad began the publication on May 1960 as a weekly publication. It was distributed nationwide by the Nation Of Islam and covered current events around the world as well as relevant news in African American communities, especially items concerning the Nation of Islam.
A box within the masthead has: "Dedicated to Freedom, Justice and Equality for the so-called Negro. The Earth Belongs to Allah." The back page has: "The Muslim Program - What Muslims Want," and "What Muslims Believe" (with 12+ statements of belief).
This particular issue features: "MUHAMMAD: ON THE LOVERS OF EVIL!", "Muhammad Questions His Ministers on Return From Visit to Tuskegee," "Has U.S. Become Main World Menace?", "They Were Murdered on Campus," two articles featuring World Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali, and much more (see images).
Complete in 28 pages, tabloid size, a few minor creases, minimal wear, generally nice.
Background: The February 23, 1968, issue of Muhammad Speaks remains a critical historical marker because it encapsulated the Nation of Islam’s (NOI) uncompromising defiance during a year of unprecedented American social fracture. The lead editorial, "On The Lovers Of Evil!", functioned as a theological and political manifesto that rejected the non-violent integrationist goals of the mainstream Civil Rights Movement in favor of total Black separation and divine retribution. By framing the American power structure and its Black sympathizers as "lovers of evil," Elijah Muhammad utilized the newspaper's massive circulation—estimated at over 400,000 copies—to consolidate a distinct Black identity that was independent of Western moral and political systems. This specific issue hit the streets just as the Orangeburg Massacre and the Memphis Sanitation Strike were radicalizing Black public opinion, positioning the NOI as a prophetic voice for those disillusioned with the slow pace of legislative change. Its legacy lies in its role as a primary engine for Black Power philosophy, providing the intellectual and spiritual framework for economic self-reliance and the rejection of white hegemony that would influence Black radical thought for decades to follow.
* Nation of Islam religious movement
* Elijah Muhammad - founder
* Fight for civil rights era original
This newspaper was one of the most widely-read ever produced by an African American organization. Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad began the publication on May 1960 as a weekly publication. It was distributed nationwide by the Nation Of Islam and covered current events around the world as well as relevant news in African American communities, especially items concerning the Nation of Islam.
A box within the masthead has: "Dedicated to Freedom, Justice and Equality for the so-called Negro. The Earth Belongs to Allah." The back page has: "The Muslim Program - What Muslims Want," and "What Muslims Believe" (with 12+ statements of belief).
This particular issue features: "MUHAMMAD: ON THE LOVERS OF EVIL!", "Muhammad Questions His Ministers on Return From Visit to Tuskegee," "Has U.S. Become Main World Menace?", "They Were Murdered on Campus," two articles featuring World Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali, and much more (see images).
Complete in 28 pages, tabloid size, a few minor creases, minimal wear, generally nice.
Background: The February 23, 1968, issue of Muhammad Speaks remains a critical historical marker because it encapsulated the Nation of Islam’s (NOI) uncompromising defiance during a year of unprecedented American social fracture. The lead editorial, "On The Lovers Of Evil!", functioned as a theological and political manifesto that rejected the non-violent integrationist goals of the mainstream Civil Rights Movement in favor of total Black separation and divine retribution. By framing the American power structure and its Black sympathizers as "lovers of evil," Elijah Muhammad utilized the newspaper's massive circulation—estimated at over 400,000 copies—to consolidate a distinct Black identity that was independent of Western moral and political systems. This specific issue hit the streets just as the Orangeburg Massacre and the Memphis Sanitation Strike were radicalizing Black public opinion, positioning the NOI as a prophetic voice for those disillusioned with the slow pace of legislative change. Its legacy lies in its role as a primary engine for Black Power philosophy, providing the intellectual and spiritual framework for economic self-reliance and the rejection of white hegemony that would influence Black radical thought for decades to follow.
Category: The 20th Century
