setting out to establish schools and businesses immersed with the NOI theology. (3) He got national attention in 1984 as a strong and quite vocal leader in Reverend Jesse Jacksons campaign for president. While Farrakhan was earning the hatred and disgust of many white Americans throughout all this, he was having a different impact on blacks. Even while they may not have agreed with all of his radical views, here was a black man speaking out about the realities of their everyday lives with no holds barred, and making national news doing so. Not only was he striving towards the empowerment of black people, he was seen by the rest of America as a force to be reckoned with. I think many American blacks were happy to accept him as the next leader of black people, since one was about due. Unfortunately, Farrakhans solutions to most of the "black mans" problems involve extreme hatred towards and separatism from American culture in general and all other racial groups that exist in it. His presence as a strong black leader can have extreme ramifications on racial relations in this country, because there is a thin line between upholding him as a great social leader and adopting all of his hateful and racist attitudes. Farrakhan has certainly not been subtle in his beliefs that the white man is evil and inferior to blacks, as the NOI has always taught. However, he has also placed more emphasis on the hatred of Jews than the NOI had ever expressed in the past. Over the past few years, Farrakhan has been quoted to make an amazing number of anti-Semitic statements, many of them shockingly direct and poignant, including: "You are wicked deceivers of the American people. You are the synagogue of Satan and are sending this nation to hell." And, "Look at the imposter Jew. Somebody must look you in your cold lying eyes and call you what you are. I dont give a damn about you and will give you hell from the cradle to the grave." (4) You can imagine how popu...
