The Ministry of Louis Farrakhan in the Nation of Islam - (Islam of the Global West) by Dawn-Marie Gibson (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The first scholarly biography of Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, the controversial African American political and religious movement"--

Book Synopsis

In the first scholarly biography of Minister Farrakhan, leader of the controversial religious movement, the Nation of Islam (NOI), Dawn-Marie Gibson challenges popular portrayals of Farrakhan in American media.

Placing Farrakhan's life and leadership in historical context, she traces his evolution from a fiery Black Nationalist in 1960s Harlem to a respected leader in sections of the USA and abroad, and uncovers Farrakhan's work in rebuilding the NOI's reputation following Malcolm X's assassination.

Archival material includes FBI's files on the NOI and its leaders, Farrakhan's writings in the Muhammad Speaks and The Final Call newspapers, and lectures and interviews from the late 1970s to the present day. Excerpts from first-hand interviews from NOI officials, pastors, imams, and community groups provide important insights into Farrakhan's religious life.

Review Quotes

"Gibson provides a clear-eyed view of Farrakhan and his history with the Nation of Islam. The book offers a much needed insight into the history, internal workings, and beliefs of the NOI. Neither supportive nor condemnatory, Gibson offers an important and balanced study of a complicated, controversial figure whose roles and influence, both negative and positive, deserve to be better understood." --Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics, University of East Anglia, UK

"This important book helps unpack the work of Louis Farrakhan and Nation of Islam to give us a deeper understanding of this man, movement and organization. Farrakhan and (by extension) the Nation of Islam have been very controversial due to his anti-Semitism. This books dives deeper to help us understand Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam and his controversial beliefs." --Shariq Siddiqui, Director of the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, USA

"Short and easily digestible ... Gibson's book is an important contribution to our understanding of [Louis Farrakhan], and deserves a place on every scholar's shelf." --Dr Michael T Miller, British Association for the Study of Religion

About the Author

Dawn-Marie Gibson is Senior Lecturer in Twentieth-Century US History at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. She is co-editor of New Perspectives on the Nation of Islam (2017), author of The Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan and the Men Who Follow Him (2016), co-author of Women of the Nation: Between Black Protest and Sunni Islam (2014), and author of A History of the Nation of Islam: Race, Islam, and the Quest for Freedom (2012).