CHICAGO—With the presidential election only days away, Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, national assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, delivered a timely lecture entitled, “An Agenda for Black People” broadcast from Mosque Maryam October 25.
The remarks included a sobering look at not only why Black Americans haven’t gotten much from politics thus far and what it will take for Black people to achieve any benefit from the political process, but also what is necessary for Black people to achieve freedom, justice and equality.
“We have to put ourselves in an independent position. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said ‘the Black vote could be cast or not cast. The White citizens and the government are going to win and continue to rule anyway.’ This is the hard fact. It’s the truth and the truth shall set us free and we want to free ourselves from being pawns of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party,” said Min. Ishmael Muhammad.
“We’re not saying politics is all bad, but it’s not the answer, especially if we don’t have an agenda that is supported by our unity,” he added.
A Black agenda has never been part of the national political debates despite both parties courting Black votes. “How dare they think that they can just ask for our vote and they don’t even have to put before us an agenda? But what’s worse is that we don’t put anything on the table for them to speak to.”
During the lecture, he also defended entertainer Ice Cube and urged Black people to stop bashing each other on social media over political differences. Ice Cube has been the center of political controversy in recent weeks because he is willing to work with either political party for the benefit of Black communities with his “Contract for Black America.”
“We should commend all those who have advanced something of a Black agenda. Our brother Ice Cube, he developed a contract for America. He put it before both parties. And we got upset because the Trump Administration approached him and wanted to sit down with him regarding his contact,” said Min. Ishmael Muhammad.
He urged Black people to stop using social media to attack each other, but to call each other on the phone and talk about our differences one on one.
“I saw the reaction on social media against our brother. Why are we divided over party lines? Don’t we want what is in the best interest of our community? And if Trump will give it to us, good. If Biden will give it to us, good. But why should we call Cube a sell out?” he asked.
“We have to learn not to air our differences in the public. Stop taking to social media to bash each other. This only benefits the enemy. That when he sees the differences, and interpersonal conflicts in our community he finds a way to exacerbate that tension to keep us divided one against the other.”
Referring to the steps for a real Black agenda, Min. Ishmael Muhammad made several points while referencing “Message to the Black Man”, the groundbreaking book by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and “The Time and What Must be Done” series by Minister Farrakhan.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said we must separate from our open enemy and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said in Part 7 of ‘The Time and What Must be Done’ that Black people have to begin the thought in our mind that we are a free people, but we have got to take a free step and build a nation of our own, he explained.
Black people must come out of the names of our former slave masters and unite with each other and focus on atonement, reconciliation and responsibility, he added. To view the message in its entirety, visit noi.org.—Toure Muhammad, contributing writer
