June Carter Cash
Musical Monikers
Madonna
Justin Bieber
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Babe Ruth
Johnny Cash
Georgia O'Keefe
I Survived
1 photo
Quick Facts
Best Known For
Louis Farrakhan has led the Nation of Islam, an African American movement that combined elements of Islam with black nationalism since 1978.
Quiz
Think you know about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowLouis Farrakhan. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:36, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850.
Louis Farrakhan. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850 [Accessed 21 May 2013].
"Louis Farrakhan." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 08:36 http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850.
"Louis Farrakhan," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850 [accessed May 21, 2013].
"Louis Farrakhan," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850 (accessed May 21, 2013).
Louis Farrakhan [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850.
Louis Farrakhan, http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850 (last visited May 21, 2013).
Louis Farrakhan. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/louis-farrakhan-9291850. Accessed May 21, 2013.
In the early 1980s, Farrakhan threw his support behind Reverend Jesse Jackson's presidential bid. A group within his organization, Fruit of Islam, provided security for Jackson during his 1984 run. Jackson's campaign ran into trouble when Jackson made an anti-Semitic remark and Farrakhan rose to his defense. Over the years,
Farrakhan has blamed the Jewish community for some of the suffering endured by African Americans. He has also criticized other ethnicities and racial groups.
One of Farrakhan's most significant accomplishments has been organizing the 1995 Million Man March on Washington, D.C. That October, Farrakhan brought together a variety of African American leaders, such as Reverend Jesse Jackson, civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks and Malcolm X's widow Betty Shabazz, to speak on important social issues to the crowd gathered there. The total number of participants has been a topic of debate, with estimates ranging from 400,000 to 2 million attendees. Farrakhan also held a Million Family March in 2000.
While many recognize the value of Nation of Islam's social and educational programs, Farrakhan has been criticized for some of his other activities. He toured 18 nations in 1996, which included a stop in Libya. Farrakhan accepted funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi for the Nation of Islam, but the U.S. government refused to let him keep the money.
Farrakhan remains a polarizing figure to this day. He continues to fight oppression wherever he sees it, whether it's in the nation's educational system, government or urban communities. And Farrakhan is still making waves with his public comments.
© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.
profile name: Louis Farrakhan profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Famous Taureans 517 people in this group
-
Famous Black Activists
View groupAfrican-Americans have a long history of activism in America, from fighting for the right to vote to pushing for integrated public spaces. Activists like Stokely Carmichael organized freedom rides, James Meredith fought to integrate blacks and whites at the University of Mississippi, and Rosa Parks instigated the Montgomery Bus Boycott. These protests were often legal and nonviolent, and made a powerful impact on civil rights in the United States. With the help of activists like these—and many others—the country slowly worked to acknowledge the basic rights and contributions of African-Americans. Activists outisde of the U.S. include Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, who have fought against apartheid in South Africa. Learn more about the many black activists who fought against the odds in order to achieve equality.
Famous Black Activists 133 people in this group
-
Famous Civil Rights Activists
View group"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." Stated by legendary civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., these words represent a basic human philosophy to which black history's greatest leaders have passionately subscribed. Learn more about the world's most revered civil rights activists, known for their fight against social injustices and lasting impact on the lives of black citizens, including Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Nelson Mandela, Nina Simone, Mary McLeod Bethune, Lena Horne, Marva Collins, Rosa Parks, W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Famous Civil Rights Activists 156 people in this group
