The woman is such an interesting figure that her makeup is biologically created to be a vessel for bringing forth life. As a woman, I am still in awe at the responsibility, yet blessing, of being a mother of civilization. Being so fascinated by this, I increased my studies in the woman.

During my study, I came across an article from the “Unveiling the Number 19” series written by Mother Tynnetta Muhammad (May Allah be pleased with her) titled: “Words of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad” published in 2009. In this article, Mother Tynnetta states that she was instructed by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, by way of a dream, to teach the sisters about the Sun.

She went further, noting the representation of the Sun in connection to the woman as, “her exquisite power of production in giving birth to life and all its forms and in the creation of new civilizations and worlds.”

This prompted me to dive more into the Sun to learn and understand the astronomical and spiritual makeup of the woman. The makeup of the Sun immediately caught my attention. The Sun is made up of roughly 75 percent hydrogen and 25 percent helium. This reminded me of a lecture from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, from his series “How to Give Birth to a God.”

In this lecture, Minister Farrakhan states, “The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that 75 percent of his work was with the woman, only 25 percent with the man—because when you teach a man, you teach an individual, but when you teach a woman, you teach a nation. When you reform a man, you only reform an individual, but when you reform a woman, you reform a nation. So, how important are you, Sisters, to the future of Black people? How should you look upon yourselves and how should we, as men, look upon a woman?”

Could there be a connection between 75 percent of the work being with the woman and 75 percent of the Sun being made up of hydrogen? What about 25 percent of the problem being with the man and the Sun being made up of 25 percent helium? The chemical symbol for helium on the Periodic Table is “He,” which is identical to the pronoun for a man, “he.” 

Mother Tynnetta Muhammad further mentioned that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that Allah (God) fashioned “Himself out of darkness or the dark womb of space, he proclaimed this production to the second part of Himself as the female aspect of his own creation” and honored the entire universe after her. This led me to study what the Sun produces: energy.

How is energy viewed in physics? According to “The Physics Hypertextbook” (G. Elert, 2022), “A system possesses energy if it has the ability to do work. Energy is transferred or transformed whenever work is done.” Is it by mere chance that 75 percent of the work is with us and yet, the Sun’s energy is based on the work it is doing?

In addition to these similarities, one can also notice a relationship between the nine planets which orbit the sun in relation to the nine months a baby is created and nurtured in the womb of a woman, as taught by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. This relationship extends to the solar rotation, which, at its equator is an average of 28 days. This is also the average length of a woman’s menstrual cycle.

The connection between the woman and the Sun bears witness to The Creator’s intentional design of her. Being a source of light and warmth in the physical sense from the Sun and spiritual sense from the woman, both are key to nourishment and growth of livelihood. The magnitude that the Sun has as being “so life-giving,” as described by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the book, “The Flag of Islam,” and the magnitude of the woman being a co-producer of life shows not only a biological role, but also an astronomical link in importance to Allah (God) and His Creations.

Sister Lola Muhammad has been a member of the Nation of Islam since 2009 and attends the Study Group in Minneapolis. She is a wife, homeschooling teacher for her children, and Ph.D. student. Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments. We welcome your ideas and submissions. Please send any material to finalcallsubmissions@gmail.com.

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In Hollywood, a “star” is a term used to describe some of the most popular actors, musicians and sports figures. They are treated with respect and honor for showcasing their beauty and talent and are recognized all over the world. But what really is a star? 

A Google search defines a star as “a fixed luminous point in the sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.” Another definition is a beacon of hope; a shining light that guides the way. These descriptions display the majesty of Allah’s creation that reflects its light on those able to appreciate its magnificence. But what does it represent?

Still reflecting on 2022, one of the major things that shook our Nation, Black leaders and the community as a whole was the passing of our beloved Sister, Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad. During the Janazah service, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan highlighted the light she illuminated as a star and shared with us her true value. He liked that Student Minister Ava was called a star but said she should be called a “Star of God.”

“She was a Star of God. Only God makes stars,” Min. Farrakhan said.  Whether it was her great defense of the Minister, which she so passionately spoke about in lectures, books, and radio programs, or her strong promotion of women empowerment, love of self and separation, she affected us all.

“I was one of Sister Dr. Ava Muhammad’s students,” said Margaret Mahdi, founder, producer, playwright and artistic director of Mahdi Theatre Company in Chicago. “She taught me at Muhammad University of Islam from the age of nine all the way until the age of 16. She was our Islamic Studies teacher; she set the foundation for the day and all of what she taught stays with me, resonates with me and I pray to Allah I will live and represent what she gave to us until the day that I die.”

Former Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins shared her reflections on Sister Ava during her Janazah service: “I’ve known her and worked with her when I was in college. I did my thesis on ‘Black Women in the Nation,’ she oversaw that.” Sen. Collins was the Assistant Majority Leader. She recently retired after 20 years of serving as the longest-serving woman in the Senate.

“She [Sis. Dr. Ava] was a woman to be reckoned with—a force to be reckoned with. She was a fierce fighter for justice in raising the dignity of the Black race,” she said.

One of the most impactful things Sister Ava was involved in was the revelatory study course, “Self Improvement: The Basis for Community Development,” revealed through Minister Farrakhan. The Minister dictated the entire series of books (Study Guides 1-21) to her. This series is a life-changing study and practical application is designed to bring us into the true knowledge of God by examining self, analyzing self and correcting self in order to affect true change in our communities.

“I’m thankful to be a part of this study,” said Online Study Group Coordinator Sis. Lenore Muhammad. “To be asked to be in the study circle as a coordinator and to be able to communicate with her on that level, it has been absolutely life changing. To be able to carefully go through that study with her, it gave me a new appreciation that I didn’t realize until reflecting how much it has changed me in being able to handle situations in my life.”

Nearly three years later, the online study circle is still in place as a complement to in-person study circles held at NOI mosques and study groups across the country.

In the Janazah, Minister Farrakhan also shared: “You can’t be great and not be willing to sacrifice to achieve greatness.” Using Sis. Ava’s example, we must pick up the mantle and challenge ourselves to apply this valuable teaching to our lives and the community and carry further the work that has already begun.

So, women of faith, we must shine like true stars and begin to work hard to shine our light across this universe! Like the Minister said, “We say we praise God for Ava, because she worked and her work touched us, but you and I are still the living. You’ve got time. What are we doing with our time?”

Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich. Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments. We welcome your ideas and submissions. Please send any material to finalcallsubmissions@gmail.com.

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The 29-year-old young, Black man died after a traffic stop by the Memphis Police Department on Jan. 7.  Family and mourners gathered to celebrate the life of Mr. Nichols at M.J. Edwards Funeral Home in South Memphis, sharing light-hearted memories of him and paying respects for his life.

“My mom named him Tyre and that name was so perfect for him. It fit him so well,” Latoya  Yizar, his god sister said.  “I am Tyre’s god sister but we grew up like siblings. He was such a happy kid, just goofy,” she said. “He always had a smile on his face; he was such a joy,” she continued as she struggled through tears.

Angela Paxton, a friend of Tyre Nichols, met him at a church service 15 years ago in Sacramento, California. She flew in from the West Coast to honor her friend. “He was light. Everywhere he went he left an impact which is why everyone is so passionate about this. He was genuinely one of those kinds of men we need in this world and now we won’t have that,” said Ms. Paxton.

When they were teenagers, they enjoyed skateboarding as a favorite pastime and formed a friend group for the hobby.

“He loved life. That’s the way to describe him. He loved life.  He loved people. He loved animals, nature, traveling, and children. He loved the experience of being alive. He thoroughly enjoyed being here,” she said.

“We’re going to put up a hell of a fight. We’re not going down without a fight. We need justice. We need them to be charged with murder,” said Rodney Wells, the stepfather of Mr. Nichols,” speaking about the police officers, who according to the Memphis Police Department, have all been fired.

Mr. Nichols, a Federal Express (FedEx) employee was driving home from work on January 7 when Memphis police pulled him over. There are conflicting reports as to why police stopped and arrested Mr. Nichols that night. He was taken to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition. Reported injuries he sustained included a broken neck and nose, several bruises, brain swelling and kidney failure.  He died three days later on January 10. Officials have not released an official cause of death. On Jan. 24, the Nichols family was expected to release their own autopsy findings from the incident, according to the local Memphis CBS affiliate.

At Final Call presstime, five involved in his death had been fired, according to several local media outlets. All five officers are Black. 

Mr. Nichols loved ones and community members are relentlessly demanding the release of the body camera footage to settle the unanswered questions as to what happened to him.

Jamal Dupree, Tyre’s brother, shared that his brother was “never for the streets” and has “never gotten into a fight before.”

On Jan. 16, Nichols family, along with Attorney Benjamin Crump, discussed their outrage with the incident on the Roland Martin Show. This incident has heated up the controversy on police brutality and police training in the city of Memphis, as Mayor Jim Strickland has claimed to strive to “fix” the police brutality issue in Memphis. Mr. Nichols’ untimely death came a week before the 37th anniversary of the King Day holiday. The civil rights icon was assassinated in the same city in 1968. 

Mr. Wells emphasized the genuineness of Tyre Nichols. “First of all, he’s the greatest kid that you could have as your stepson. When I met Tyre, which was basically 10 years ago, he embraced me like I was his father.” He stated that fellow FedEx employees attended the balloon release for their co-worker on January 14. “The whole second shift was out in the parking lot to release the balloons because of how much they cared for him. He was very, very loved,” said Mr. Wells.

The family also hosted a demonstration January 16 in front of the National Civil Rights Museum, demanding the release of the body camera footage.

Keyana Dixon, one of Tyre’s sisters, shared in the interview with Roland Martin her reflections on her brother. “He was just my little brother. Never in a million years would I ever see my brother’s face on a t-shirt. He was just him. He loved his camera, he captured my whole wedding. He will always be my little brother,” she said.

“This kid was so beloved in the Memphis community and in the Bay area of California that you have people marching in both cities saying ‘Justice for Tyre Nichols,’” explained Attorney Crump.

During the memorial service, activist Kareem Ali shared the immense impact Tyre Nichols’s life had and has on the community. “His spirit is not dead. His spirit is alive. Tyre is alive, and the spirit of Tyre has been moving among the people.”

Ms. Paxton and Ms. Dixon shared that there will be a memorial at a skate park to honor Tyre Nichols, on February 4, in Sacramento.

“We are taking it day by day,” explained Ms. Dixon. “We have to process and grieve but all of us are committed to fighting for Tyre and keeping his life and name alive. The world will never forget Tyre.”

—Zakiyyah Muhammad

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“Surely I have rewarded them this day because they were patient, that they are the achievers.”—Holy Qur’an, Chapter 23: The Believers, verse 111

The headline of this article may suggest a bold statement to some, however, there are many religious followers like Christians and Muslims called by the name “believer.” In The Nation of Islam, the believer first enters the classroom of God as a “student” and begins the process of oneness with Allah (God). It is this journey toward knowledge, wisdom and understanding that ultimately strengthens belief.

According to the Google dictionary, “a believer is a person who believes that a specified thing is effective, proper or desirable.” Another definition is “an adherent of a particular religion; someone with religious faith.” From the female’s perspective, many challenges may have shaken that foundation even of those most committed. The ups and downs, trials and tribulations of a changing world have touched the lives of women worldwide.

In our effort to strive to live up to this noble title and as we enter a new year, let’s reflect on women and how striving in faith over this past year illustrates how the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Farrakhan have proven to be most effective in enlightening our belief and practices.

Earlier in the year, I was given an opportunity to return to my longtime passion of writing and submitting articles to best newspaper on the planet, The Final Call newspaper. As a “student” in Islam, an entrepreneur, mother and wife of a large family, contributing to this column has been an eye-opening and learning experience allowing me to meet and share stories of amazing women and followers of God. I would like to highlight a few stories that reflect our journey toward belief.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago that left so many unsure of the future. We lost loved ones and friends. Others continue to struggle with health challenges. This pestilence also has created a necessity for women, in particular, to call on God for the survival of ourselves, our families and our future. Muslim and Christian prayer lines such as The Unity Fajr Morning Prayerline by Yreva Muhammad of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Prayer for the Nations, by Judith McCalister and Prayer is Better Than Sleep Prayline by Jacqueline X of Hartford, Connecticut, have become outlets for those seeking support and communication with Allah (God).

“Don’t you think that people who are under a burden don’t know how to pray?” Min. Farrakhan asked during his 2022 Saviours’ Day address titled “The Swan Song.” “We learned prayer the hard way because we didn’t come up the smooth side of the mountain. We came up the roughest side that a mountain could provide us. But we are here, the strongest of the strong,” he said.

“The Swan Song” started out the year by giving not just women but everyone the instruction to examine themselves and change wicked behavior to avoid death! “I’m singing a Swan Song because the God that is on scene today is a God of Truth and Righteousness. And if you play a game with God, He will leave you where you are,” the Minister said.

Marriage and family are other journeys that have tested our faith as women. We have become consumed with maintaining healthy relationships and coping with life’s uncertainties, and sometimes the family suffers. A strong marriage is the foundation of family and has been necessary to endure such hardship that we have faced mentally, spiritually and physically over the last year. Min. Farrakhan shares how we can never rebuild the family without starting where Allah (God) started in the beginning.

“The yardstick or criteria by which we measure good, it must first promote the development of the male and female in accord with the nature of their creation; it must promote marriage; and it must protect family,” Min. Farrakhan said. This quote and many others are compiled by John and Nadine Muhammad of nationsproducts.com in Houston in a free e-book “100 Principles of a Successful Marriage.” Using excerpts from Min. Farrakhan, they promote marriage and family to guide healthy relationships.

The summer of 2022 ended with young Muslim women gathering to attend the historic National M.G.T. and G.C.C. Vanguard Retreat in Chicago. The three-day event was filled with education, entertainment and fun. Concluding the conference at Mosque Maryam, the world was introduced to the women of the Nation of Islam with six powerful sisters speaking on the different aspects of our training as women and girls.

Sister Nneka Muhammad gave a fiery keynote address where she shared comments about Satan’s desire to destroy the Original Black woman. “We will even fight you with the power of our womb and produce children that will destroy all of God’s enemies!” she exclaimed. She also gave an emotional tribute to the late Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad.

Even in fashion, the Teachings introduce us to the beauty of femininity and modesty. Sister Carmen Muhammad of Al-Nisa Designs, Inc. and Women Working Together, Inc., continues to change the perception of modest attire worldwide, hosting the 2nd Annual International Arts Award Gala and her first U.S. Modest Fashion Week in Chicago last year. “I want the world to know that my personal anthem is: We are here and we have a voice,” she said.

The Bible says, “Behold, I make all things new. There will be a new heaven, a new earth and the former things shall pass away.” If it is our deep desire to be pleasing to Allah (God), belief is strengthened. The Minister says faith in God is the prerequisite to overcoming adversity.

Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich. Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments. We welcome your ideas and submissions. Please send any material to finalcallsubmissions@gmail.com.

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“When they say, ‘send her back home,’ you tell them, ‘I am the foundation of what we call home.’ And when they say you are not beautiful, you tell them that you are the descendants of royalty!”

Some of you may remember viewing this on TV or social media when acclaimed actress Angela Bassett shared these powerful words during a speech as she accepted the “Black Girls Rock! 2019 Icon Award” from the nonprofit organization, movement and awards show that was broadcast on BET.

Well, not only do we rock, but we the original Black woman and Indigenous woman are the “bedrock” of every human being on the planet earth! Thanks to the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, and the Nation of Islam, we are taught that we are co-creators with Allah (God) and that a Nation can rise no higher than its woman.

Founder of Mothers of Civilization Day and editor of Virtue Magazine, Audrey A. Muhammad of Mosque No. 34 in Durham, N.C., is a proud student of these Teachings as a member of the Nation of Islam M.G.T. and G.C.C., the women of the Nation of Islam. She was inspired to highlight a day for everyone to recognize and be thankful for the first women on the planet. So, she worked and eventually officially registered the day in the National Day Archives last year.

Sister Audrey believes that this is a way to bring attention to and teach this fact so the world may learn and show honor to the Original woman properly. Whether we are in Africa, North America, South America or anywhere on this earth, we are the Mothers of Civilization!

“Do you know what that means, mothers of civilization?” This was the question asked by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan during a lecture titled, “The Role Model for Women.” The Minister said, “If civilization is one having knowledge, wisdom, understanding, culture and refinement, the pursuit of happiness and is not savage, and you are the mother of that, whatever knowledge is in the world, you give it. Whatever wisdom and understanding is in the world, you shape your children according to what you know and what you understand.”

Mothers of Civilization Day is every day but it is celebrated on the day that the bones of the earliest female were found according to scientists. On November 24, 1974, the bones of a Black woman in Hadar, Ethiopia, were found by anthropologist Donald Johanson. Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop, a Senegalese historian and anthropolotist, noted that the evidence of early humans who lived between two and six million years ago comes entirely from Africa. 

According to the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, “We find that history was populated by the Black nation ever since it was created, but the history of the White race does not take us beyond 6,000 years,” He wrote in his seminal book, “Message To The Blackman in America.”

“Mothers of Civilization Day gives us the opportunity to teach our children every day about our value,” Sis. Audrey said. Broyny Vitatoe, a health promotion specialist from New York, made sure she and her husband Derek honored his mother, Betty, her mother-in-law. She also has two stepdaughters and wants them to know about this day.  “Black women are the most fascinating, impactful women I know, and I was blessed to be raised by one. In celebrating Mothers of Civilization Day, I strive to emulate that model,” she said.

Unlike other holiday themes which involve overspending and false worship, this day is an opportunity for women to be honored by family members and loved ones through the official website. Mothers of Civilization Day adds to the tradition of family quality time by offering them an opportunity to take grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and aunts and put them in what Sis. Audrey calls the “circle of love.” There each family member shares a positive word about each woman,  and shares history lessons.

Traditional celebrations are a core aspect of any culture,” said the late Student Minister Dr. Ava Muhammad, who debuted the holiday with a short video in 2021. Our beloved sister whom the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan called, “a star of God,” shared wisdom in her introductory words when she stated, “I think that Mothers of Civilization Day is critical to the Black Nation.”

“Society in general and the Black community, in particular, can only benefit when the Black female is active in the decision-making process involving every aspect of life. And when she sees herself as who she really is and that is the Mother of  Civilization,”  Min. Ava said.

In a world where women continue to be mistreated, disrespected and abused, we still have the ability to rise and overcome all obstacles.

It is now time to rise up and accept the challenge offered by Minister Farrakhan to “accept your own and be yourself.” His guidance is helping us know the tools to become examples of a high civilization by teaching the reality of God and the reality of our position as women as the second self of Allah (God).

“You are the one that passes on the culture of the people, the refinement of a nation. It is all in your hands. So, if you are the mother of civilization, if you are right, then everything that you touch will be made as you are,” said Min. Farrakhan.

For more information and to honor a Black and Indigenous woman visit www.mothersofcivilization.org. 

Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich. Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments.

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 Overcoming generational traumas and self-imposed limitations, 11 Black women from America traveled to Cairo, Egypt, with The Repair of the Black Family to heal on purpose. Their living testimonies prove despite more than 400 years of slavery and suffering under a wicked ruler who afflicted Black people with a miserable condition, God’s promise will prevail, and the Lost-Found Nation will be restored again.

“I feel so light. Like I am light,” said Sister Stephanie X, 49, a mother and teacher in California. “I am definitely relieved of a lot of stuff I’ve been holding onto that probably was not even mine, you know, ancestral—my mama, my grandmother, things like that.”

The Repair of the Black Family was founded in 2016 by married couple David and Nayyirah Muhammad, of St. Petersburg, Florida. Sister Nayyirah Muhammad shares, “our aim is to bring the family back to the basic unit because we understand that strong families make strong communities.”

The Ignition: Heal on Purpose retreat was hosted in Cairo, Egypt, from September 18-25. 2022.  Healing retreats are one of Repair of the Black Family’s trademark services. These healing retreats—open to men and women—allow people to temporarily withdraw themselves for self-discovery and healing.

One of the core beliefs in the Nation of Islam as taught by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, The Eternal Leader of the Nation of Islam, is the immeasurable value of the woman. For humanity to be restored, restoration must start with the Black woman.

Shabreal Zaire, 30, a mother, nurse, owner of Healing Beauty and an attendee of the retreat, knows self-healing is possible. Sister Shabreal affirms the need “to get to the root of everything, the root of the womb, the root of the woman.”

The 11 sisters who attended the retreat retraced the footsteps of the historical Mary toward Abu Serga Coptic Church in Old Cairo. This is where the historical Mary and Jesus hid, fleeing from persecution from the Jews more than 2,000 years ago.

This aspect of the retreat served as a special reminder of the identity of the so-called Negro woman of America. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan shared in his historic 1991 Saviours’ Day lecture “Who is God?” that each one of the Marys surrounding Jesus represents the Black woman.

“The woman is the key to a new world order. The woman is the key to the Kingdom of God,” the Minister said in the lecture.

The founders of Repair of the Black Family didn’t choose Egypt, but Egypt chose them.

“It’s something when you’re in your home city and you see the buildings there and you know that people have built them but to literally know that civilization, where it started and how we are beings that [were] literally created from nothing,” David Muhammad said. “It wakes the person up to have more awareness as into their capability of what they can do.”

In the life coaching sessions, the attendees acted as students and received self-help tools to activate their own healing.

“The biggest breakthrough was pushing my physical [limits],” said Sister Patricia X, 55, a mother of two from Longview, Texas. “I had to make the steps to follow, and I had to push through, so that I wouldn’t get left behind. But I see that every step was a spiritual step and it made me realize that I can do it.”

Sister Bahiyyah Sadiki, 70, a mother of six children, retired teacher and wife of Imam Wilmore Sadiki shared her realizations. “So, I took it upon myself to say, if not now, when? And of course, what better time when you can be free to be impactful, to be having gone through all the experiences in the world that you can imagine, at the age of 70. I’m bringing that into the Motherland, bringing it back home.”

Sister Nayyirah explained the significance of the organization’s name.

“[Healing] does start with us, but it’s not limited to us. And understanding that Black is not a color, it is the essence in which all color comes from, and this is what makes it a humanitarian work. However, we are the first and the most foremost in need of restoration.”

Since COVID-19, mental health disparities have increased globally. In a report by U.S. News & World Report, approximately 23 percent of adults in the U.S. sought mental health treatment in 2021 and only 14.8 percent of Black adults requested treatment in 2021.  U.S. News & World Report also reported that one billion people globally have a mental disorder.

Brother David said: “When the mind can accept that it is experiencing unhappy or unnecessary, or things that are unnatural, as it relates to sanity, then a person can begin that [process].” He shared that “confessing what’s wrong” within oneself is a challenge.

“The biggest challenge is acceptance. Accepting our own and being ourselves,” Sister Nayyirah said. “We have been made into devils. That’s what the Lessons tell us. So, devil, according to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in “Closing the Gap” is the weakness of self. It takes a lot to confront, to face your own weaknesses, and so that’s our biggest challenge.”

Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments.

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“A woman is made secure in a good man and a good man is made secure in God.” Those powerful words gave me chills after I downloaded and read it in “100 Principles of a Successful Marriage,” a free e-book of tips from lectures of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

John and Nadine Muhammad, developers of the free e-book and owners of nations products. com have 34 years of marriage under their belt. The couple researched various messages by the Minister and worked to compile excerpts from his different lectures dealing with principles of courtship and marriage. They attribute their success to this guidance and desired to share it with others.

That’s great because in this culture we are constantly reminded of the breakdown of the Black family structure and how women are abandoned and left running single-parent households, etc. What is eliminated from the conversation, however, are the effects 400 years of slavery and the history separating families by force still has on us today.

But, there are significant misperceptions and realities when it comes to Black marriage today. A recent study conducted by researchers, Bryant Markes of Morehouse College and Ivory A. Toldson of Howard University, revealed that the realities are much different than what’s portrayed in the media. They found that 75 percent of Black women get married before age 35 and 70 percent of college educated women marry by 40. They even found that aside from stereotypes in the media, 83 percent of Black men making $100,000 or more marry and marry Black women. So, in reality Black marriage is more common in this current generation than we think.

“Growing up, it wasn’t abnormal for my friends to be raised by single parents,” said Destini Hill, 26. She’s been married five years to her husband Dominique and they reside in Dallas, Texas. However, Ms. Hill grew up in a two-parent household and dreamed of that reality for herself. She believes that there are so many advantages of bringing the Black family together in marriage. “One of the main advantages is stability, not only financial stability, but also emotionally and spiritually. Having a companion that brings you balance, and harmony is unmatched. Children also need to see two parents who love each other and love them. It’s essential to their emotional and social development,” she said.

She and Mr. Hill married young, at the age of 20. It was a decision for which they received “backlash,” she said. “Which was odd to me because marriage is at the center of family. We need more unity in our community. I think marriage would bring the structure back,” said Ms. Hill.

Nisa Islam Muhammad of The Wedded Bliss Foundation believes a healthy marriage is the best place to rear children. “It boosts women’s self-esteem and Black married men make more money,” said Ms. Muhammad, who is also a Final Call staff writer. The Wedded Bliss Foundation is excited about the rise in Black marriage and the organization would like to think they played a small role.

“Our small influence can be found in our work to educate couples on how to have a healthy marriage. We also train professionals to do marriage education and we’ve celebrated Black Marriage Day since 2003,” she said.

There have been so many Black couples that have been a great example and influence on me over the years. It’s exciting news that this marriage culture could be an influence on the next generation. Though the numbers in Black marriage are not as bleak as they seem, over the last 50 years, marriage is at an all-time low regardless of race and has declined significantly.

What is the future for marriage success? The e-book reminds us to study and follow the words of Minister Farrakhan for our success.

“Anything that promotes the process of the unification of male and female in the Divine Institution of Marriage is proper in the sight of Allah (God). So, we must look at the education we receive; the religion and its practice; the government, its policies and laws; the economic system and its effect; the scientific and technological advancement that has been made and its effect on marriage and family,” the e-book quotes the Minister as stating.

“The yardstick or criteria by which we measure good; it must first promote the development of the male and female in accord with the nature of their creation; it must promote marriage; and it must protect family,” Min. Farrakhan said.

Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich. Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments.

The post Reviving Black marriage culture appeared first on Final Call News.

As we closed out Women’s History Month in March and acknowledged the accomplishments and struggles of women everywhere, our leadership role in education cannot be ignored. 

From public scrutiny to milestones to setbacks recently seen in the media, it appears being highly accomplished, highly educated and successful has not exempted us from being—as some believe—the most educated but most disrespected women in the world.

As it relates to education, we’ve always achieved and continue to reach great heights, but there are still great challenges that education and educators face. As discrepancies and inequities in employment for women persists through our contributions to leadership, participation and guidance from God, education can be redefined. 

Several years ago, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan presented a lecture, now studied as a part of our “Self-Improvement: The Basis For Community Developement” Study Guides. He declared a “New Paradigm for Education for the 21st Century” with a solution and guide for true education in a changing world. During the lecture the Minister quoted alarming statistics on the deficiencies in American education that are even more disturbing today. 

“Education is the torchlight of civilization,’’ he said. When we look at the problems in society and the problems in education, it is demonstrative of the fact that this education and the idea that undergirds it, has reached its end. And as the torchlight of this nation is going out, that fact is reflected in the culture—the degeneracy of the culture,” he said. 

In the current public educational system, former Benton Harbor, Michigan school principal and current executive director for transportation, Angel Clark-Crayton, knows the ups and downs in education as she strives to continue to make a positive impact in leadership as a newly elected School Board of Education member.  

“A wise person once said, ‘Education is a journey, not a destination,” she said. “In fact, I believe education is not meant to prepare a student for an upcoming test or quiz; rather, education prepares one for life and its many challenges. Over the last decade, public schools have faced many challenges that have resulted in a decrease in enrollment, low academic performance, and school closures,” she said.

As a board member, Mrs. Clark-Clayton has worked with the board to help eliminate deficits, start literacy initiatives and teacher training/recruitment programs. “In an effort to be the change I wish to see in my community, I decided to re-join education as a school board member with a personal commitment to focus on the development of aptitude, attitude and ambition of all students,” she said. 

Educator and publisher of Virtue magazine, Audrey Muhammad is aware of this dissipation and offers light to her classroom and the world after creating a new holiday honoring Black and Indigenous women titled, “Women of Civilization Day.” It is celebrated every November 24th. 

Different from Mother’s Day, this holiday recognized on the National Day Archives records honors the original Black and Indigenous women who gave birth to humanity.

“It’s a wonderful history lesson,” she said.  When students ask who is the Mother of Civilization, it is an opportunity to honor women of diverse cultures and traditions to learn the true origin of us all,” she added.  

“It bears witness to the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, ‘Who is the Original man?’ And it’s tied into educating people,” she said.

The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, “When you teach a man, you teach an individual. When you teach a woman, you teach a nation.”

Sherrie Muhammad, founder and director of Asiatic Minds, is doing her part with her online school program based in Lexington, Kentucky. She started as an educator with a degree in communications; then, after making the progressive decision to homeschool her five children, she decided to come up with a solution to offer God-centered education to anyone willing to receive it. 

Asiatic Minds strives to make education centered around God and self while also bringing excitement into the classroom utilizing tools such as music, arts and modern technology. 

“Almost every day my eyes fill with tears when I see the students engaged,” she said. “I’m so grateful to see that they are taking pride in their instruction.” Sherrie Muhammad has students enrolled from Las Vegas and parts of California, Texas and Florida.  

“I thank Allah (God) so much for using me to provide something that my children didn’t have. We had to homeschool because we are in a small city. We didn’t have enough children here where we could create a brick and mortar, so by the Grace of Allah, He blessed me with the right idea and I thank Allah for choosing me,” she said.

Women have a long history of being the foundation of education. But as of late, with the disrespect of teachers, including low salaries, little support, and other challenges, inner city classrooms don’t reflect the students being taught properly.

Celebrations honoring and highlighting education must also be the focus as women and men strive to attain the desired results in a changing society. But as the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan says, “without education and the right and proper education, no human being can fulfill his or her destiny.”—Abisayo Muhammad  

Abisayo Muhammad, a former Final Call staffer, is an entrepreneur, a mother and first lady of Benton Harbor, Mich. Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments. We welcome your ideas and submissions. Please send any material to editor@finalcall.com.

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Heeding the directive of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to “make our community a safe and decent place to live,” Sondra Muhammad of Chicago spearheads the organization, Parents United to Build a Future for Our Children.

Since 2001, the organization has hosted Stop the Violence, Increase the Peace Youth Sundays, annually held at the National Center of the Nation of Islam at Mosque Maryam.

“Growing up, my parents, who were not registered members of the Nation of Islam, always went to hear the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. They would come home and share with myself and siblings what was said. Hearing and seeing how much my mother praised the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad instilled a desire inside of me to join the Nation of Islam once I became an adult,” she said.

“I’m inspired to present these teachings of the Nation of Islam to our community, the youth in particular, because they helped me become the adult that I am by having that foundation of learning knowledge of self. The children have a right to hear who they are because they will benefit from these teachings,” she added.

The next event will be held on Sunday, April 24, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at 7351 South Stony Island Ave. Attendees will be presented with a powerful spiritual message delivered by Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, National Assistant to Min. Farrakhan. Following the message, youth entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to network. All youth organizations, youth shelters, high schools, and churches are invited to participate, said Sondra Muhammad.

Also included in the program will be spoken word, dance, open mic, and rap. Free food and transportation will be provided.

For more information and to arrange for transportation, call 773-412-9515.—Shawntell Muhammad

Shawntell Muhammad is a Final Call Contributing Writer and can be contacted at organicallybalanced@gmail.com

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March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is recognized globally as International Women’s Day. But let’s be clear.

Every day and every month is ours. Our beginning in creation bears witness to the beginning of the universe. She (the woman) is God’s first act of creation as taught by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Every day is women’s day.

I was surprised to learn of this annual celebration even though it dates as far back as 1975 and prior. According to the International Women’s Day website, beginning March 8 until April 8, we are to acknowledge women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. Also, to celebrate women during the month, we are encouraged to bring light to her true role in society and highlight some of the challenges women have faced and continue to face.

In the past, Madame C.J. Walker—one of my greatest inspirations in entrepreneurship and Black hair care—struggled to pave the way to make a name for herself in business while bringing other Black women along with her. Today, now known as one of the wealthiest Black women in business and entertainment, Rihanna shares her “hopes to inspire Black women wanting to break the glass ceiling in business,” she said. The pattern in society has always centered around our fight to be recognized and respected in the workforce, leadership and in general.

My birth sister, Eva Ositelu of Lagos, Nigeria, 26, an upcoming young medical doctor in her city is proof of our struggle and rise. “Women should be celebrated daily and not only in March,” she said. It is very important to remind women that we are much more than the limitations society has tagged on us.

“On behalf of women, I push myself to the limits as a young thriving female doctor, mostly called a nurse because society has somehow blinded us to the fact that females can be much more than nurses; we can be doctors, managing directors, CEO’s etc.,” she pointed out.

Ms. Ositelu is a graduate of Kursk State Medical University in Russia. “We can be what we choose to be, and we must help pave the way for other women,” she said.

“Sista” Afrika Porter, a Chicago native is paving a way with her inspiration and mission to create Africa Enterprises Public Relations Firm, a company dedicated to highlighting Black people at our best various professions and arenas. 

“Oftentimes, we look and we see a lot of what we don’t do well, be it through social media or the regular news,” she said. “I was in a space of ‘what can I do to contribute and leave a legacy that is great for us?’” she said. 

This month, Ms. Porter is participating in a 15-minute walk in honor of Harriet Tubman’s 200th birth anniversary called, “A Global Walk for Harriet.” During this initiative women across the country are walking in their communities highlighting the hurt that women and girls go through and endure. Ms. Porter will be walking with Harriet Tubman’s great-great niece. “It’s so important as we look at International Women’s month to see the contributions of women,” she said.

Ms. Porter is mother of two sons and has one grandchild. She is a five-time Emmy Award winner and executive producer of the film “Chicago at the Crossroad.” She also hosts two syndicated radio shows, “Solutions ONLY” and “Turn Up Life, What’s In It For The Black People” with cohosts Aziza Lisa and Nyfesha Miller on WVON 1690-AM, the historic Black-owned radio station in the country owned by a Black woman, Melody Spann-Cooper.

Lyda Muhammad, another Chicago resident and beautiful sister, is a stay-at-home mother, wife and entrepreneur with two home-based businesses. 

After homeschooling her 6-year-old daughter Sabirah, Ms. Muhammad makes bow ties and operates her Mahdi Cookie and Catering business. During the recent National of Islam Saviours’ Day weekend, she took the initiative to provide her services to Believers traveling from across the country.

“I decided to offer food (to sell) so they would have healthy, delicious food options that they could know and trust were prepared properly and with love,” she said. She also offered to deliver orders to those in need, now a common practice for those seeking extra convenience.

For nearly 15 years, she has known and understood first-hand the struggles of servicing customers and juggling multiple tasks.

“One of the biggest struggles in the past for me was believing in myself,” shared Ms. Muhammad.  “I had to overcome that and know that I had a gift and was something that I loved to do. Now, with a family I had to relearn time management. So the biggest struggle is self and I had to learn to get out of my own way.”

There are so many ways to highlight women and many examples of how to showcase it. I recently read a post quoting Mother Tynnetta Muhammad, wife of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. She stated, “I want to show you that there is a connection to the universe and everywhere that you look in the universe there is she. The sun is she; the planets are she; the stars are she … But we have been treated inferior so we have to speak strong about our root in God, because if you do not see us as the woman of God then you will never make a people that will live into the future,” she said.

So powerful.

(Sister Space is devoted to amplifying the voices of women as well as telling their stories and highlighting their accomplishments. In an upcoming article, we will feature part two of this subject. Send inquiries to editor@finalcall.com)

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