Farrakhan, Louis

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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.

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