Thesis Statement
The Five Percent Nation is a black theological group, started in America in the 1960s. There is little research on the group, especially when it comes to their practices. This paper will explore how the Five Percent Nation, as a unit and as a movement, does not consider themselves a violent group, yet, as individuals, how they mistreat their own members, most specifically women, and also outsiders.
Five Percenters Beliefs and Background
The Five Percent Nation is a highly individualized theology that started in 1964 in Harlem, New York City, New York (Miyakawa, 198). Clarence 13X, the leader of the Nation, was a previous member of the Nation of Islam. He decided to leave the Nation of Islam when he started to notice discrepancies
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in their teachings. Mainly, the fact that the Nation of Islam taught that white men were the devil, yet the founder of the Nation of Islam, Fard Muhammad, a half-white man, was Allah (Johnson). Clarence 13X started teaching that all black men were Gods and each and every one of them were in charge of their fate. This meant that they were able to choose what to wear, what to eat, and how to practice their faith. This differed from the Nation of Islam owing to the fact that Fard Muhammad instilled a specific diet in his followers and a certain way that they should dress. The only dietary restriction that Clarence 13X had for his people was that he required them not to eat pork and encouraged them to eat healthy. This was because Clarence 13X was for the betterment of his people and he knew that health issues were prevalent in the black community (Miyakawa, 205). There were twelve important key concepts in the Nation of Gods and Earths, which represents their values: “Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding, Freedom, Justice, Equality, Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Love” (Miyakawa, 208). In addition to these key concepts, the Nation of Gods and Earths also has a list of three goals that they wish to accomplish, one of them being peace. It can be interpreted from the twelve jewels and the three goals that the Nation of Gods and Earths are not a violent group, according to their doctrine. However, the media portrays them different. Five Percenter Violence as Portrayed by the Media The media often dramatizes and glorifies events in order to have a good story. Coverage of the Five Percent Nation was no different. The picture painted by the media of the Five Percent Nation was not an impressive one. Words such as “prison gang” (Daily News) and “hate group” (Five Percenter Rap) were used to describe the group, and the words of the members were usually blown out of proportion. Clarence 13 X was once quoted saying “[i]f we don’t get some poverty money to rebuild our own Mosque we’re going to kill all white-skinned babies, bomb homes of Negro policemen and riot (Five Percenter Rap).” This quote was used to portray the Nation as a white-hating, anti-police group. Because of this quote, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began to investigate the group in 1965. The FBI started to keep a record of the various “disturbances” caused by members of the Nation of Gods and Earths, many of which were in “racial matters”. Reading through the document, it is clear that numerous of the accusations towards the beginning of the reports are mainly against young, black men of the group and concern misdemeanors ranging from blocking the sidewalk to carrying small amounts of marijuana on their person. As the FBI continues to investigate the group and report on their findings, the charges become increasingly racially charged. For example, young men were charged for rioting. This was rooted in the fact that Clarence 13X would go around to parks and discuss the racial injustices that were occurring against black people. The FBI also quoted a passerby who happened to hear Clarence 13X tell his followers that they were supposed to “beat up” white people since they were not allowing blacks to “have anything” (pg. 217). The above findings of the FBI are interesting, considering that the Five Percent Nation clearly states peace as one of their goals, yet Clarence 13X was quoted multiple times encouraging his followers to be violent against white people. According to the Nation of Gods and Earth’s website, however, it states that “[they] as a collective are not anti-white nor pro-black… [they] are a Nation dedicated to the upliftment of people in general.” It can be seen that there is a disparity between what Clarence 13X is teaching and what the website states. This might indicate a division within the organization, as members that run the website might have different beliefs than those who were around Clarence 13X. It is important to keep in mind the political climate of the era. Black people had been fighting for basic rights and not getting anywhere. There were black leaders who chose to protest peacefully but others, such as Clarence 13X and Malcom X, chose a more violent path. Clarence 13X might have justified his actions because he was attempting to help his people any way that he could. God Wise Intelligent encapsulates the separation between members who followed Five Percent teaching and those who did not when he states, “[i]n the 5% you have hypocrites. You have your brothers who are not 5%ers, but jive pretenders. They are fronting [pretending] like they are Gods, but they are not Gods they are god damn fools (Miyakawa, 206).” Wise Intelligent is stating that there are members who call themselves Five Percenters but they do not practice what is written in their doctrine. Wise Intelligent was specifically referring to rapper Bid Daddy Kane, who called himself a God yet preached violence. Violence in Hip Hop Music Members of the Five Percent Nation have had great influence over hip hop culture.
Their prevalence in the industry has given the Nation great exposure to the general public, and to people who otherwise would not have known who the Nation was. Although the Nation considers themselves a peaceful, most members practice how they wish since it is such an individualized movement. Therefore, unfortunately, the image painted by these artists is one of violence and misogyny.
Some of the most popular hip-hop artists associated with the Nation are Jay-Z, Nas, and Erykah Badu. These artists cover topics such as violence, drug sales, and Five Percent teachings in their lyrics. This section will analyze lyrics by some of these popular artists. All lyrics were taken off the website genius.com.
Jay-Z has built an empire built off of lyrics about guns, drugs, and anti-police rhetoric. The video for his song, “No Church in the Wild,” starts off with a man throwing a burning glass bottle towards a line of policemen. As the video progresses, it is noticeable that it is portraying a riot. We see policemen spraying people with pepper spray and beating them up. The music video has an overall feeling of violence and
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hatred. Nas is another rapper guilty of speaking on his acts of violence. His song “Shoot ‘Em Up” an abundance of words describing violent acts involving guns. We shooting every mothafucka outside… Let the trigger blow, seven shots now he lying on the ground Blood on the floor then we shot some more We see Nas speaking of shooting people and killing them, and afterwards going back and killing other people. This is not the only song where he condones violence. He often speaks about being a drug dealer and living in the “hood”, where violence is prevalent, especially amongst young, black men. This is just a small sample of the brutal and violent lyrics sung by members of the Five Percent Nation. There is also abusive rhetoric concerning women and their role in the family. The Role of Women in the Five Percent Nation One of the most important aspects of life, according to the Five Percent Nation, is the family unit. An ideal family was comprised of a Sun or God (man), an Earth (woman), and moons (children). The Sun was the provider for the family, while the Earth’s job was to stay home and take care of the children. This patriarchal view of the family came from the Nation of Islam’s teachings that Elijah Mohammed had instilled. In addition, the Earth and Moon were supposed to receive light (wisdom) from the Sun as they are revolving around him [Miyakawa, 206]. Although the Earth revolved around the Sun, their relationship was supposedly equal. In “The Hip Hop and Religion Reader”, one Earth explained how the relationship between the man and the woman actually work: There exists a homeostasis between the Sun and the Earth, a natural systematic relationship governed by the laws of mathematics. The Sun can exist without the Earth, however she complements his greatness and radiance by taking that light and turning it into life… He provides her with that environment that is conductive to the growth and development of life on her [planet] as she submits herself to him and endlessly revolves around him, bearing witness that he is the foundation for her existence (206). From this quote, we can see the same rhetoric of the men being the main source of “light” and having so much power in the relationship. The woman is supposed to receive the light from her Sun, which is symbolic of self-knowledge. The quote explicitly states that men do not need the women I order to survive, but that the women need men in order to simply exist. As an outsider with a bias, it is difficult to not see the potential manipulation this viewpoint can be used for. Most liberal women of the 21st century would disagree with anyone who told them their purpose was to reproduce.
However, the Earths see this is a point of power, seeing as they are creating new life. In her book “The Girls in the Gang,” Anne Campbell tells the story of a young Earth who was previously in a gang and later became a part of the Five Percent Nation. Sun Africa was a seventeen years old when she joined the Nation. She was impregnated by a God and soon moved in with his previous Earth and their children. Although social norms would deem this taboo, Sun Africa was delighted to be in this situation because she was fulfilling her role as a woman, and her life had new meaning and purpose (Miyakawa, 207).
Sun Africa’s story tells us more than just how women feel about their role as the creator of life. It shows the double standard that there are for men and women. For example, although the family unit is vital, many Gods usually go off and have a family with different Earths. Sun Africa’s tale was different from other women seeing that her Sun staid with both of his Earth’s. In various cases, the Suns disappear from their families and the Earths are left behind with the
moons. As discussed previously, Gods are in charge of their own lives and are free to choose how they practice their beliefs. The women, however, have strict rules to follow. One key difference is the dress code for both parties. The men are not required to wear anything specific as long as they are clothed (Miyakawa, 205). The women, however, are required to always be ¾ covered, and they often wear head scarves. They are to be ¾ covered because ¾ of the earth is covered by water. The women’s role in the organization might take a part in the reason why some of the Gods treat women with disrespect, seeing as the men seemingly have all the power.
The Nation of Islam emerged as a very powerful organization during the 1960s. One of the Nation?s key goals was to create an independent Black America. It further preached about the White man as the devil, thus instilling faith within its followers that White society will be decimated, and Black society will prevail. Through these powerful messages, the Nation of Islam gave African-Americans a claim to divinity and created the notion of Black supremacy. However, in attempting to cement these ideas, the Nation of Islam?s message became extreme to the point of absurdity. While James Baldwin expounds on this irrationality in ?Down at the Cross?, he also understands and agrees with the underlying motivation behind the Nation?s absurd claims.
This document discusses the significance and far reaching nature of Black Nationalism. The focus is on a few key figures that played a role in influencing the growth and development of the fundamentals of Black Nationalism. These figures include Marcus Garvey, Elijah Muhammad , and Malcolm X. Also, the complexity and a variety of viewpoints on Black Nationalism as a whole are discussed. The focus is placed on the difference between extreme Black Nationalism and more passive manifestations. Lastly, the impact of these events and ideas are considered along with how they influenced American culture and the black community.
Prophets of the Hood is the most detailed and a brilliantly original study to date of hip hop as complicated and innovative literary story form. It is written with a refreshing harmonious combination savvy significance rigor as well as brave and creative narrative verve. Imani Perry’s research is an interesting analysis of late twentieth century in American great culture. Prophet of the hood is an excellent and unique book. It draws up a clear division between the negatives and positives involved in hip hop. She takes the discussions of rap to a deeper and greater levels with an insightful analysis of the poetic and political features of the art form. Being a fan and a scholar, Perry is aware the art, tradition of hip hop through an analysis of the song lyrics.
This paper elaborates on the diverse contributions peoples of African descent have made to the pluralistic religious landscape of America and replicates various passages from our textbook. It focuses on the personal narratives of non-religious to religious leaders—exemplifying their influence on the African American religious movement during slavery and the reconstruction of America. Each section represents different historical periods, regional variations, and non-Christian expressions of African-American religion.
Recently, rap has surpassed many genres of music. In the year 2017, eight of the 10 most listened to artists were rap artists. Artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Future, and Cardi B have many songs listed as the top 10 best selling tracks. What do all these rap artists have in common? They have the the three keys that make up the structure of a great rap album.
Maffly-Kipp, L. (2001). The Church in the Southern Black Community: Introduction. The Church in the Southern Black Community: Introduction. Retrieved March 17, 2014, from http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/intro.html
The idea of women holding authority was unheard of in ancient times and more recently in Colonial America up through the mid twentieth century. It has always been thought that men are superior to women and that women are not strong enough physically and mentally to hold any true authority. For instance, women did not receive the right to vote in the United States until 1920; the first female senator wasn’t appointed until late 1922. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Thing Fall Apart, however, women do hold authority and some even hold more authority than men. Achebe describes how in the Ibo culture women hold the main positions in Ibo religion as priestess and Oracle and that even the strongest man in the Ibo village and the main character of the novel, Okonkwo, must obey the commands of these women.
Race and religion are two concepts in American culture that can really tie people together, or clearly separate them apart. A group forged by strong common roots in both race and religion can be a powerful societal force, if it wants to be. The Nation of Islam is a small but growing religion in America that has become somewhat of a social movement because of its strong and radical ideas on race. In this paper, I will try to explore the beliefs of the Nation of Islam, and the ramifications it could and has had on racial relations in America. The Nation of Islam, or NOI, is a relatively new religion. The first temple of Islam was established in Detroit by Master Fard Muhammed in 1930. Much of the theology was based on the simple facts that: "Allah is god, the white man is the devil, and the so-called Negroes are the Asiatic black people, the cream of the earth."(1) And, in accordance with their bizarre view of creation, involving a mad scientist creating the white race from the black race, the twentieth century represents the time for black people to regain their rightful position as god¹s chosen people. (1) The Nation of Islam was spawned from Orthodox Islam, an age-old religion. However, Orthodox Islam has openly denounced the NOI as a heretic sect for three main reasons: the NOI¹s rejection of the belief in an afterlife, its tendency to view human leaders as deified figures, and its strong racist attitudes. (2) For a brief time, during the seventies, Wallace Deen Muhammed became the leader of the NOI and tried to take it in a new direction, more conforming to "true Islamic beliefs." This group is now called the American Muslim Mission and still exists in small numbers today. (1) ...
24 Jan. 2001. Mamiya, Lawrence H., and Charles Eric Lincoln. “Nation of Islam.” Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. 2nd Ed.
Hip hop is both a culture and a lifestyle. As a musical genre it is characterized by its hard hitting beats and rhythms and expressive spoken word lyrics that address topics ranging from economic disparity and inequality, to gun violence and gang affiliated activity. Though the genre emerged with greater popularity in the 1970’s, the musical elements involved and utilized have been around for many years. In this paper, we will cover the history and
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The Five Percenters is a religion , it was founded in 1963 by Clarence 13X.He was originally a member of the Nation of Islam , he broke away from the group in 1963 because he adopted beliefs that differed from The Nation. He believed that 10 percent of the world possessed the knowledge , but falsely teach the identity of god as an invisible supernatural being.He also believed that 85 percent of the world was ignorant to God’s identity and misled by the 10 percent. While, 5 percent of the world know the truth of God’s identity as a black man and teaches freedom,education,and justice to black communities. The Five Percenters are also called the Nation of Gods and Earths , essentially saying that every black man is a God and Every black women
C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya, The Black Church in the African American Experience (Durham: Duke University Press, 1990), 352. Lindsay A. Arscott, "Black Theology," Evangelical Review of Theology 10 (April-June 1986):137. James H. Cone, "Black Theology in American Religion," Theology Today 43 (April 1986):13. James H. Cone, "Black Theology and Black Liberation," in Black Theology: The South African Voice, ed. Basil Moore (London: C. Hurst & Co., 1973), 92, 96.
Simpson, George. (1985) Religion and Justice: Some Reflections on the Rastafari Movement. (Vol. 46) New York: Phylon.
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