The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered divinely-guided insight and perspectives on national and international events–all linked to the survival and progress of the Black man and woman in America–over the airwaves of a Columbus, Miss., radio station Feb. 9.
An estimated half a million listeners, including students from several colleges and universities around the nation, tuned in to “Karriem & Co.,” on WTWG 1050 AM via radio, telephone and the Internet for the live broadcast.
Min. Farrakhan spoke earnestly on a variety of topics including deteriorating race relations despite having a Black president, the decline of public education, protests in Egypt, Black independence and the duty of responsible Black leadership.
›“In the state of Mississippi where we’re broadcasting from, there are some Black people living in virtual slavery on plantations in Mississippi, in Louisiana, in Texas and in other parts of the South. Things are not better, we are not living any post-racial America,” said Min. Farrakhan, responding to a question about the condition and progress of Blacks in America since the heyday of the civil rights movement.
Many of the 57 million people who voted against President Barack Obama hate the fact that a Black man, woman and children occupy the White House, the Minister noted.
The result of this racist backlash, continued Min. Farrakhan, is the current vicious campaign and name-calling against the president–who has been labeled a Socialist and accused of not being an American citizen. There have also been attempts to use anti-Islamic sentiments against the president by calling him a Muslim and anti-American.
“We’re (Blacks) in a worse condition right now as we speak,” the Minister said.
One must only reference the hanging death of Frederick Jermaine Carter in Greenville, Miss. last year, which many Blacks insist was not a suicide, to bear witness to Min. Farrakhan’s deep analysis.
Armed with the teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Biblical scripture as his base, the Muslim leader sounded strong and robust in tying the Southern experience to the “the bedrock of Black suffering” with the historical and painful legacy of slavery and brutality in the Mississippi Delta. However, he said, the result of that legacy of suffering will be strong leadership.
“You will produce the leaders, and you have, that will lead us up out of this condition and I pray that the people of Mississippi will lose their fear of man and fear God because God is present and He is working for the deliverance not only of our people in Mississippi but it is written in the book of Isaiah ‘Shall the lawful captive be delivered and the prey be taken from the mighty,’ ” thundered Min. Farrakhan.
In explaining the relationship between knowledge and obtaining freedom, Min. Farrakhan said understanding the “time and what must be done,” coupled with the knowledge of God and history is paramount to Black success in America. “When you have this knowledge you will jump up out of your condition and unite and make a future for yourself and your people,” said Min. Farrakhan.
Conditions facing the Black community will worsen as the economy worsens, Min. Farrakhan warned, stressing unity through economic development and land acquisition to create jobs for the Black community is key.“If we don’t unite to make jobs for ourselves then it increases the rise of rebellion and anarchy and people fighting for the few little crumbs that exist so the National Guard will be called up and blood will be in the street,” Min. Farrakhan said.
Excitement from the Minister’s radio address was so overwhelming that Karriem & Co. was allotted additional airtime to continue the radio broadcast.The program hosts included Kahbir, Kamal and Ahmad Karriem. Abdullah Yasin Muhammad, a son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, helped facilitate the broadcast.
Min. Farrakhan’s prophetic words of guidance and warning offered thousands who listened a brief prelude to Saviours’ Day 2011, the Nation of Islam’s annual convention, which will take place in Rosemont, Ill., Feb. 25-27.
