Louis Farrakhan

Louis Farrakhan , 1933-, African-American religious leader, b. New York City, as Louis Eugene Walcott. A former calypso singer known as "The Charmer," he joined the Nation of Islam ( Black Muslims ) in 1955, eventually becoming minister of the Harlem Temple after Malcolm X broke with the religious group. After Elijah Muhammad died and his son steered the Black Muslims toward Sunni Islamic practice, Farrakhan founded (1977) a reorganized Nation of Islam that adhered to the elder Muhammad's teachings. Often denounced as anti-Semitic and antiwhite, Farrakhan has stridently criticized white Americans while emphasizing African-American self-improvement. In 1995 he was one of the chief organizers of the Million Man March, a day of renewal for African-American men in Washington, D.C. In 2000, Farrakhan publicly reconciled with W. Deen Mohammed, Elijah's son. In 2006, Farrakhan, suffering from illness, gave the day-to-day responsibilities for running the Nation of Islam to its executive board.

Farrakhan, Louis (1933– ) US leader of the Nation of Islam, a black separatist organization. A controversial figure, he was recruited into the Black Muslims in the 1950s by Malcolm X. Farrakhan was a charismatic advocate of its racial exclusivity. In 1976 he formed the Nation of Islam, which claimed greater adherence to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. His powerful oratory stresses the importance of self-discipline, family values and community regeneration. His speeches often contain inflammatory anti-white, anti-Semitic and anti-homosexual remarks. In 1995, he organized a large political demonstration, assembling 400,000 men in a ‘Million Man March’ on Washington, D.C.