Search

Black Leadership Analysis

This is an unofficial Spiral Dynamics blog. It is not endorsed by D. Beck PhD.

Open Search
Author

blackleaderanalysis

This site will use Ego Development Theory to analysis various leaders and problems in the black community. Ego Development Theory is a value meme classification first invented by Clare W. Graves and expanded by Natasha Todorovic, Christopher Cowan, and Don Edward Beck.

Analysis of Dopebusters Programs

Ultimately, the majority of Dopebusters programs were successful. When the NOI worked in conjunction with the police as they did in Baltimore, there was a significant decrease in crime. The question is, did the programs cause more suffering than relief in the black community. Were the Dopebusters drug patrols pyrrhic victories? The best way to evaluate the problem is through SWOT analysis.

Strengths

The NOI Dopebusters Program was successful due to the amount of respect black people have for the Nation of Islam. In spite of all the group’s flaws, the NOI has always been outspoken advocates for the black community. They are one of the few groups that aid black entrepreneurs. Business ownership is vital for the black community. It’s is only through the support of black-owned businesses that the collective of black people will become self-sufficient.

The NOI’s community support did not only come from the fact they were NOI. The guards were homegrown and saw themselves as part of the community. Their understanding of themselves as extensions of the community manifested in their ability to employ soft skills training. In addition, guards went above and beyond in doing their jobs, according to those interviewed in the Senate investigation. As a result, residents in the housing projects felt they were being treated as people.

The support from the people led to support from various politicians that needed the black vote. Democrats such as Kurt Schmoke, Henry Cisneros, and Maxine Waters went to bat to the NOI drug patrols. According to the NOI’s Dopebusters book Republicans, Barbara Bush and Jack Kemp, also supported the securities agencies. Therefore there was never a government effort to derail the NOI Security Agencies. On the contrary, the security agencies received bi-partisan support.

Part of the reason the NOI is popular in Black America is they are unafraid to criticize the power structure. Some of their criticism crosses the line into conspiracy theory and Anti-Semitism.

Weakness

The Nation of Islam’s anti-semitism came back to haunt it. For those that believe the NOI is not anti-Semitic here are some quotes from Louis Farrakhan:

“The Jews have control over those agencies of government.  When you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door.”

Saviour’s Day Speech, 2/25/18

“Jews were responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out, turning men into women and women into men…. White folks are going down. And Satan is going down. And Farrakhan, by God’s grace, has pulled a cover off of that Satanic Jew, and I’m here to say your time is up, your world is through.  You good Jews better separate because the satanic ones will take you to hell with them because that’s where they are headed.”

Saviour’s Day Speech, 2/25/18

“German Jews financed Hitler right here in America…International bankers financed Hitler and poor Jews died while big Jews were at the root of what you call the Holocaust…Little Jews died while big Jews made money. Little Jews [were] being turned into soap while big Jews washed themselves with it. Jews [were] playing violin, Jews [were] playing music, while other Jews [were] marching into the gas chambers…”

Mosque Maryam, Chicago, 3/19/95

The above is just a sample of things Louis Farrakhan has said. So he is, in fact anti-Semitic. In addition to the belief that Jews secretly run the American Government, he also believes the American government is fundamentally corrupt. Here is a quote on his feelings on the government.

“A decree of death has been passed on America. The judgment of God has been rendered, and she must be destroyed…”

Harlem, NY, 8/9/97, New York Amsterdam News, August 14-2

So with rhetoric like this, it will be challenging to acquire government contracts and work with government agencies. The Nation of Islam attempted to receive money from the government while speaking out against them. There is no way to play both sides of the fence.

It is evident how NOI rhetoric hurt its mission to secure various housing projects from the scourge of drugs. When Alim Muhammad accused the DC Police Department of selling drugs, he made it difficult for his unarmed guards to call the police when they encountered trouble. The inability to work with police led to a failure of the Nation of Islam to secure Clifton Towers. Guards not being able to go to the police also led to  guards in Chicago allegedly murdering a gang member.

In addition to merely being slow to help, guards would not be given protection if they overstepped their bounds. The previous blog post shows many instances of police arresting NOI guards. The police and other authorities had no reason to attempt to give NOI guard lenient sentences. The NOI took a stand against the government and the government to a stand against them.

Opportunities

In crime-ridden areas, unarmed guards could help reduce violent police encounters that result in death. An unarmed guard could be the first line of defense before police arrive. If a similar program is attempted in the future, the guards should be part of the police force. By making them integral to the police force and removing any outside entity from the equation, there will be less interference in the security efforts. If a religious leader says something controversial, the guards will not suffer. Also, by being part of the police force, they could join the police union. Unionization often leads to better pay, benefits, and working conditions. According to the Washington Post, guards made $6/hr when police made $20 /hr. The disparity should be elevated because the guard takes as much if not more risk than the policeman.

Again the Nation of Islam’s ability to connect with the community should be understood and emulated. If members of the NOI guard are available, they should be interviewed to capture the soft skills they utilized when working with the community. If the skills and methods could be documented, future members of the police force will have an alternative to using their weapons.

If the police are supplemented with an unarmed guard, police killings could be greatly reduced. Having unarmed guards from the neighborhood as the first line of defense might lessen the need for armed police, and with it violent interactions. Many situations can be diffused when local Spiral Wizards take control of the situation.

Threats

The downfall of the NOI Securities Agencies was financial mismanagement. Even after the Senate investigation, affiliated security firms won contracts. If anything the firms had preferable treatment, as seen in Baltimore, NOI guards won the contract even though Wells Fargo underbid them. By making the unarmed guards part of the police force, the likelihood of financial mismanagement would be greatly reduced.

But the unarmed guard needs to be people from the community they serve. If respected members of the community were employed in keeping law and order, it would foster the development of a healthy blue meme in the neighborhood. The unarmed police guard will pull from all faiths and facets of the community, further promoting brotherhood.

Also, by having the guard not based around a faith, the guards will not suffer the consequences of religious leaders speaking against those they have to collaborate. An unarmed guard only works in cooperation prevents those with arms from entering the equation. Also, opposing religious organizations will not be hell-bent on ending the use of unarmed guards.

Conclusion

The NOI gave us a template for community policing. Even though there were instances of over-reach and financial mismanagement, the group greatly reduce drug-related crime. Much can be learned and reapplied from their efforts.

Sources

“Black Jewish Relationship: Louis Farrakhan in His Own Words” https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

1

Essay on Untouchability II: Social Undergirding of Caste

When most social analysts study India, they see the chief division as religion, Hindu vs. Muslim. However, it is also essential to understand caste divisions. These divisions are recognized by those that practice all the religions of India. Those in the lower caste, namely: primitive tribes, criminal tribes, and untouchables make up 60% of the population or 79.5 million people. Since the caste system is disenfranchising a larger number of people than the population of Japan, one cannot ignore the division.

As stated early, the lower or avarna castes: primitive tribes, criminal tribes, and the untouchables are unique on the subcontinent. Primitive tribes exist in the wilderness of India, living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The criminal tribes earn their name by raiding neighboring villages and committing assisinations. One clan called the Pindharies can muster up to 20,000 in Calvary. The clan of hired assassins is called, The Thugs. The government considers their acts legitimate business, and they pay taxes. Untouchables live observing Hindu culture and law. However, touching them would pollute a Hindu and require him to be cleansed at a temple.

Of the three avarna castes, Untouchables are the only group that has a social condition that cannot be changed. If a member of the primitive or criminal tribes decides to leave his group and enter Hindu society, they would be welcomed with open arms. An Untouchable could become the leader in his industry and would still cause a Hindu to be polluted. Therefore, Untouchable has a unique struggle in society. Ambedkar uses the analogy that Hindus relate to untouchables as a man relates to his shoes. Untouchables are just a means to an end.

The idea of caste causes separation in marriage, dining, and occupation. The specifics of the Caste System has changed as evidenced by records of foreign travelers to India. At the time of publishing of the treatise, Gandhi wanted Untouchables added to the least powerful caste, Shudra (Laborer). The Untouchables would not have permission to change occupations. The only difference would be, they would not pollute a person of a higher caste.

Aside from the fact that Hinduism promotes the caste system, the religion is also invalid because the highest form of religious experience is trance. It is absurd to think an abnormal psychological condition produced by artificial means is the sign of enlightenment. Trance (Samadhi) was just another aspect of Hindu metaphysics that prevented the population from moving toward rationalism. It is rationalism that will advance society and end discrimination.

Caste is a social order made sacred by the religion of Hinduism and enforced by Hindu law. The laws supporting caste are as old as antiquity, but they were rarely invoked. The laws supporting caste ended in 1850 with the Caste Disabilities Removal Act. The Caste system stayed intact despite not having legal bases. The fact the caste system survived without legal undergirding shows that religion served as the caste system’s base.

Hinduism was exceptionally robust in enforcing caste because it was a religion of a book without a prophet. Ambedkar defines his position by referencing Professor Max Muller’s work on classifying religions as natural vs. revealed. In the natural category, he groups the religion of aboriginal people such as Iroquois. The natural faiths classify objects and people as sacred or taboo and don’t use a personified being as supreme. The revealed religions are those that have a book revealed by a prophet. In the revealed camp, one would find most of the Abrahamic religions and Zoroastrianism. The Vedas are Hinduism holy book, but a prophet did not reveal them to the worshipers. Therefore the credibility of the book cannot be questioned by attacking the character or historical validity of a prophet.

The Caste System occupied a scared space in Hinduism. No other religion deemed any social order sacred. There have been those that have fought against the system such as the Buddha and King Vishvamitra. Yet the idea has persisted. Most religions consider economic activity outside the purview of religion. Combining religious/ social and economic disadvantage was a dangerous combination.

Ambedkar objected to Gandhi’s proportion that caste was the ideal form of society. In fact, caste is not founded on the cooperation of various professions, but their antagonism and class war. To justify his position, Ambedkar uses allegories from sacred Hindu texts that show that Kshatriya and Brahmin had a bloody civil war over the right to perform sacrifices. Bloody conflict is the inevitable result of the Caste System.

1

G-d’s Role for Black People in America

Michaux’s race philosophy can be summed up in the National Memorial to the Progress of the Colored Race in America. The monument established in 1936 served to commemorate the civilization of black people through slavery. The memorial and the resulting organization was centered around a few principles:

Historical – Chronicle notable events in the black race
Memorial- Recognition of exceptional black people
Humanitarian- cooperation to the material advancement of black people
Cultural- progress of blacks in art, music, and wholesome entertainment
Patriotic – not political, but a belief in the founding documents and love for America’s founding
Spiritual- not sectarian, but a general love of G-d and the divine

The memorial was built in Williamsburg to commemorate the first recorded landing of slaves in 1607 and the last slave ship to arrive in 1861. Michaux saw slavery as a positive good. Slavery civilized an otherwise barbarous group of people. Michaux had a ceremony to commemorate the arrival of the last slave ship in 1961.

In the document that explains the purpose of the monument, he defends Robert E Lee falsely stating he freed his slaves before assuming command of the Confederate army.

The memorial was on a 400-acre tract of land with eighty farms. The farms were cooperative, and the profits were split evenly among all the participants. Michaux supplied the farms with equipment and livestock. Plus there was a small farm college started in the area so people could learn the best methods for farming. The farm was established in 1936 and expanded in 1943. Michaux wanted the farm to feed the church in the event of another depression.

Michaux did see the role of the church in America as the watchdog of the government. Only when the church takes its rightful position in America will, including racial segregation end. The clergy was to praise and critique the government, not the congregation.

From the pulpit, Michaux cast Hoover as a modern day Saul. Hoover abandoned G-d’s plan when he attacked the bonus army, a group of WW1 veterans that were protesting for assistance. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a modern day, David ushering G-d’s plan, which was The New Deal. Those that oppose The New Deal oppose the divine plan. Michaux campaigned with FDR at a mass rally in Madison Square Garden in 1932.

G-d will bring social change through individual hearts. Not by civil disobedience or directly lobbying the government. That is the core disagreement between Solomon Michaux and Dr. King. Many KKK members supported Michaux because his philosophy did not require them to relinquish anything. Whites were able to determine how much freedom black people get. Black liberation is on the timetable of whites under Michaux’s philosophy.

Anti-Black Actions of Solomon Michaux

Michaux’s criticisms of Father Divine were well publicized. Many of these critiques, such as allowing members to refer to him as G-d and disallowing followers to have sex, are rooted in a deviation of orthodox Christianity. However, when agitated, Michaux would refer to Divine as “that little Negro,” “little black devil,” and “hellish black rascal.” Coming from a light skinned black man of mixed race, these comments could be seen as colorist. Here is a quote listed in the Baltimore Afro-American from Michaux on Father Divine in 1934:

“White people don’t love colored people; Jews don’t like Italians, and you blame it on the depression.

Many a white mouth has sucked a black breast – But because it gave forth white milk, they loved it. Colored people loved marse and massa.

It’s different now. Whites hate colored because they think colored shouldn’t be their equals. Colored hate whites because of slavery. Slavery was God’s plan to civilize us.

We could’ve been in Africa throwing cocoanuts at one another if we hadn’t been brought over here and made slaves. All races have had to be slaves at one time or another.

There is no depression in heaven. Fish still swim, flowers still bloom, and the sun needs no National Recovery Act to make it shine or stop shining. It’s you: all the trouble is with you and in you. You don’t love.

Go home tonight and kiss your husband. Wake him up if you have to. It may scare him to death, but do it anyway as your first act to prove you love everybody.”

In 1965, Solomon Michaux bought a 636 Acre Plot near Jamestown for $180,000. He decided to turn this land into a housing development for whites. It was to be named the ” Francis Lightfoot Lee Colony.” Many in the black press believed this was a nod to Confederate General Robert E Lee who descended from Francis Lightfoot Lee. One of the streets was to be named after Senator / Governor Harry Byrd, an arch-segregationist. Even though the plan was to sell the homes to whites, naming streets after slave owners and segregationists was another action that one could view as anti-black.

Solomon Michaux was known for opposing Dr. King in three ways. The first was demanding Dr. King apologize to J. Edgar Hoover for saying the FBI was a tool of white supremacy. The second was defaming King by insinuating he was a communist and that he had affairs. The third was picketing an SCLC event in Baltimore in which King called for a boycott of Alabama, in 1965. His opposition inspired several opinion articles in the Baltimore Afro-American. All the writers felt that Michaux never gave a rational explanation for his opposition to King. We now know that Michaux was working for the FBI.

The Gospel Spreading Church website claims that Michaux referred to King as a “saint” in the church paper Happy News. The use of the word “saint” was satirical, according to Lerone Martin’s article in Religion and American Culture. Michaux would use the term to mock King while spreading lies about him being a communist and having affairs.

The Gospel Spreading Church alleged that Michaux had a protest for Civil Rights in 1961. There was one article in the Baltimore Afro-American that referenced the protest, dated December 9, 1961. The protest was not about Civil Rights, but Protestant / Catholic unity. Michaux sent a burlap sack and hood to John F Kennedy hoping he would wear it during his Thanksgiving meal. The actual protest had 500 participates from the various branches of the Gospel Spreading Church. Churchgoers demonstrated at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and two Baptist Churches. The article never mentioned Civil Rights.

1

Michaux: The Father of Churches

In Newport News, VA, a baby was born on November 7, 1884. The father was of mixed Black and Jewish Ancestry. He wants the baby to be named Solomon. The mother of Black and Native American parentage, wants the baby to be named Lightfoot. They decided on the name Lightfoot Solomon Michaux. The baby was born with a caul, a membrane resembling a veil covering his face. A caul signifies the baby will grow up to be a man of prominence.

John, the father, was a fantastic patriarch for the 1880s. He descended from a Jewish man that immigrated to Richmond before the Civil War. Due to his father coming from a line of merchants John opened a store. Solomon Michaux helped his father run the store and opened his store later in life. However, Michaux had a creative side his father did not have. He decides to open a dancing school as his second venture.

It is through his dancing school that he met his lovely wife. Mary Eliza Pauline was a student at said school and found Solomon to be quite handsome and charismatic. Their relationship began when he saw Mary crying outside the house of her then lover. Solomon felt sorry for her and made a deal. If she agreed to be in a monogamous relationship with him, they could live together. The couple will never have biological children but will adopt a daughter in the 1950s named Ieeda (Aeeda) Martin. The girl was an Eskimo from Alaska.

Mary’s origins were always questionable. She was orphaned at an early age and lived in a room above Gresham’s Bar in the Red Light District. According to the history of the Church of God, she served as a missionary attempting to save the souls of those in the Red Light District. Most people in town believed her to be a prostitute. One of the people believed the rumor was Solomon’s father, John and this rumor led to animosity between Mary and the rest of the Michaux’s. Mary was also seven to fifteen years older, her husband. Despite her flaws, she was extremely religious and encouraged her husband to join St. Timothy Church of Christ (Holiness).

Solomon and John landed a contract to supply the local harbor with vegetables. Part of the reason he won the deal was he obtained green peas out of seasons. Little did the government know he was taking dry peas, soaking them in water and green food coloring. Ultimately, the venture was profitable, and he was able to build a business network.

Mary sees the town of Hopewell as a lost city. As the old testament towns of old, licentiousness has overcome the city. The new army base and factory caused a population explosion. More people were at the gambling hall than the church. Mary wants Solomon to build a new church to save the people of Hopewell.

John likes the idea of Solomon preaching and offered to pay for Baptist seminary. When Mary hears this, she hits the roof. Mary wanted Solomon’s church to be pure, and Baptist preachers were far from pure. Many of them propositioned her even though she was married. Solomon decided to side with his wife in the argument and started the church from a tent. He would find others to preach.

Solomon starts a church in 1917 with a land grant from the DuPont corporation. He built a white frame structure and found visiting elders to preach. The church was called Everybody’s Mission. One of the guest preachers was a man named Brother Diaz. During the Diaz service, a vision comes to the pastor. Diaz tells the congregation that Solomon Michaux was destined to lead them.

Solomon began what would later be known as the Gospel Spreading Church in 1919 from a tent in Newport News. He was able to get over 150 members in three months. By November, he was able to buy the current building on 19th and Jefferson. He would obtain the Lincoln Theater in this town in 1929. The congregation wouldn’t stop growing and a second church began in Hampton, Spring of 1922.

The church had a very charismatic style known for vibrant songs and captivating preaching. The members were also not shy about proclaiming to the world their love for Jesus. In October 1922, Michaux was arrested for leading a parade in the early morning that awoke the residents of Newport News. He was convicted and ordered to pay a fine or go to jail. Michaux chose jail. The judge realizing Michaux would be considered a martyr ordered his car to the confiscated to pay the $25 fine. The judge offered to give Michaux the excess from the sale of the vehicle. Michaux refused.

After World War 1, coastal Virginia experiences an economic downturn. Michaux responds by creating the “Common Plan.” Members that had work would pay into a fund; in return, unemployed members would do basic chores and menial tasks for the paying members. The Common Plan helped some members stay in Virginia until the economy turned around. Others left to find work in different states.

The first group left in 1924 left for the coal mines in Edenborn, Pennsylvania close to Pittsburgh. A church was established in this area in 1930. The group in Pennsylvania expanded and a Gospel Spreading Church was also founded in Philadelphia in 1935.

The second group left to find work in Baltimore with a church established in 1923. Another church was created in the Baltimore suburb of Essex, MD in 1924. The Essex church attracted a white family later found to be part of the Ku Klux Klan. They were attracted to the charismatic and patriotic preaching style of Solomon Michaux. The white family was so impressed with the sermon they ask Solomon Michaux to give a lecture at their home church.

Going to a white church with a heavy KKK presence did give Michaux pause, but he saw it as part of his mission. He agrees to speak at the white church because he feels G-d will protect him from any harm. The church enjoys his sermon and from then on whites regularly attend Michaux’s Essex Church.

In 1926, Virginia passed the segregation laws, commonly known as Jim Crow. He invited his mixed congregation to worship in Virginia. The multi-racial church service violated state law, and Michaux was arrested. He had to pay a fine as punishment, but he continues to speak out against segregated churches. The Church of God had integrated services in any state that would allow them. He held firm to the belief that G-d’s law supersedes any state or national law. In G-d’s house, there was no segregation.

Washington, DC of 1928 was a prime location for a new church, so one was founded on Georgia Ave. A large black migrant population that was extremely poor entered DC. The affluent black community already in the district ostracized the newcomers. Michaux understands many of the new arrivals might not attend church because they feel they can’t dress well enough. To service these people, he decides on creating a radio ministry.

WJSV was one of the local radio stations. It was owned by James Vance who was part of the KKK and published their newspaper. Vance agrees to broadcast from a storefront location in DC, and so began the Radio Church of God in 1929.

The broadcast centered around music, even the sermons had a beat to them. The song the show is most famous for is “Happy Am I.” That is why Michaux is known as the “Happy am I, Preacher.”

Once Michaux became a household name, he hired tutors to teach him theology and other biblical concepts. He had limited literacy, so often the tutors would read to him. Using his newfound knowledge, he was able to build a biblical philosophy that mixed “New Thought” and the “Social Gospel” while being patriotic. The sermons were still simple enough for the average person to understand. Even when political topics were discussed, they were done simplistically.

The Radio Church of God was a top-rated show in the Mid-Atlantic region. When CBS bought WJSV in 1932, the Radio Church of God was the only show CBS kept from the original station. The show was broadcast of 52 CBS stations and in some international affiliates and had a viewership of 25 million people by mid-1930s.

Michaux not only established himself as a prophet but felt the need to expose false prophets. Father Divine was one of these false profits preaching a non-biblical gospel. Divine told his congregants that sex was wrong even within the confines of marriage. He also allowed his followers to refer to him as G-d on earth. Michaux had many revivals in New York at Father Divine’s house and headquarters Rockland Palace October 1934. Denouncing Divine was the focus of the Madison Square Garden Revival on October 7, 1934. Two of Divine’s so-called “Angels” testified against him. The Angels accused Divine of taking all the wages of congregants. A Gospel Spreading Church established a church in New York in 1934. The church’s goal was to stop the spread of Divine’s message.

The fame from radio opened more avenues for Michaux, leading to many multi-racial revivals in Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania. The annual baptism at Griffith Stadium etched Michaux in the minds and hearts of America. A documentary film was created on his life in 1942 “We’ve Come a Long, Long Way.”

Now the notoriety did not come without backlash. Michaux was known for attacking more traditional denominations. The Interdenominational Ministries Union started accusing Michaux’s church with being a cult. Michaux began to raise money to build a monument and farmers co-op in Williamsburg, VA. Many people accused him of misappropriating funds. Even though the charges were never proved in court, they did diminish his credibility. In 1938, CBS canceled the show, but Michaux broadcast independently from Washington, DC until he dies. Making The Radio Church of God the longest running radio show in history.

2

Dopebusters outside Washington DC

New York

It was December 28, 1991. Sean “Puffy Daddy” Combs had organized a charity celebrity basketball game at the City College of New York. At this point, Combs was a skilled promoter and had connections at the hottest hip-hop radio stations which he used to advertise his event. He sold 5,000 tickets to a gymnasium that can seat 2,700 patrons. In addition to the ticket holders, people show hoping they can buy tickets at the event.

City College decided to hire twenty Pinkerton Guards, and the student union supplemented the force with 20 guards from X-men security. X-Men is not officially affiliated with the Nation of Islam, but they hire mostly NOI members. The guards also wore traditional Muslim garb of the suit and bow tie while on duty. The city provides over sixty police officers. Unfortunately, there is still not enough security. At 6:55, guards at the main entrance leave to escort two women holding money trays from ticket sales. Once the entrance was left unguarded 150 people stampeded to enter the gym. In the commotion, nine people were crushed. This event was the second deadliest crowd control failure in US history.

A 1992 investigation by Mayor Dinkins’ office discovered that police responded to the failure in an insufficient manner. More police should have been on the scene. In addition, City College officials include security personnel should have vetted the event promoters to understand how many people would show to the event. X-men security was not blamed for the event, but the episode shows the limits of private security.

X-Men security got a chance at redemption in July of 1993. They won a $300,000 contract to secure a 360 unit apartment complex called Ocean Towers in Coney Island. In eighteen months the firm completely turned the complex around. Residents and the apartment complex managers hailed the firm as saviors.

Unfortunately, Brooklyn Assemblyman Jules Polonetsky, a Democrat, wanted the contract ended because the group spread Louis Farrakhan’s message of hate. In addition to selling the NOI’s newspaper, The Final Call, they sold bean pies and other Muslim paraphernalia while on shift. The vast majority of residents were not bothered, yet a small minority complained. Even Polonetsky agreed the firm provided stellar security services; they had to go due to their stance on whites and especially Jews.

The statistics were on the side of X-men. Vacancy dropped from 30% to 1% in the time they patrolled the complex. The increase in residency was primarily due to improved security. In addition, 53 of 61 residents reported the guards were doing a good to an excellent job. Residence loved the security so much they protested outside of Polonetsky’s office in support of the guards. Ocean Towers Management ended the contract on October 10, 1996 and replaced them with a firm that hired many of X-Men’s former guards.

Residence also wondered why Polonetsky was so adamant about the firing of the X-men while ignoring their previous pleas for help in stopping the drug trade in their building. Polonetsky said he stood on principle and could not let an anti-Semitic group get government money. Conrad Muhammad, leader of the mosque in New York, proved him right by calling Polonetsky a “rookie” and a “snotty-nosed Jewish Politician.”

The Ocean Tower Tenants Association and the Nation of Islam attempted to sue a group of state officials including Polonetsky for religious discrimination. The case was thrown out because the private management company made the final decision to end the contract. Since the state was not directly responsible, they could not technically discriminate against the X-Men.

Los Angeles

The Oakwood neighborhood in Los Angeles was home to the Holiday Venice Apartments that were overrun by Shoreline Crips. Various tenant and neighborhood associations pushed for the Nation of Islam (NOI) to guard the area. The local housing authority had closed-door talks about hiring the local Nation of Islam Security Agency.

Once word got out on the talks, the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Defense League protested. The Oakwood neighborhood is overwhelmingly Black and Latino, so there is no immediate threat to any Jewish people. However, the historical anti-Jewish rhetoric of NOI leaders was enough to inspire the Jewish groups to slow down the contract process. Nation of Islam Security Agency won the bid in July, but protests from Jewish groups prevented the patrols from starting until November. The contract ordered 256 apartments patrolled for $50,000 per month.

The patrols could not have started at a better time. US Marshalls seized one of the Holiday Venice Apartment buildings because the owner was not doing enough to stop drug sales. The owner was ordered to improve lighting, install fencing, remove abandoned cars, and install an alarm system. The first month of NOI patrols are a huge success; drug arrest went from 32 per month to 8 per month. However, over time, the patrol became less aggressive.

One problem with the patrol was they were not 24 hrs except for the first and fifteenth of the month when welfare checks arrived. Drug dealers would wait for guards to be off-duty and return to the projects. While the NOI was patrolling the dealers were pushed into the street and arrests were easier. But eventually, guards had to fight with dealers in the open. Because the guards were unarmed they often lost, one guard was even shot. In August of 1993, a video surfaced of a drug deal going on in front of a guard, that was a death nail. Also, some citizens complained that the NOI intimidated them to prevent them from complaining to authorities. The most egregious violations were the guards being slow to open the gate for police in fear of gang retaliation. The contract ended in 1993.

Baltimore

Councilman Lawerence Bell first proposed the idea of Nation of Islam security for Baltimore public housing in 1992. He met with NOI official Abdul Arif Muhammad as part of a massive effort to clean up the worst housing project in Baltimore, Flaghouse Courts. The movie Malcolm X was released in November of that year, and the mystique of the NOI was at its height. Bell felt that the NOI would be more respected than police or other private security.

The effort to clean up Flaghouse was called Operation ECHO, Extraordinary Comprehensive Housekeeping Operation. It involved a drug sweep utilizing 72 police to evict squatters and drug dealers. Renovations were conducted by 352 maintenance works that included painting, minor renovations, cleaning, and planting a garden. A health truck was stationed out front to provide services like drug counseling. The city also built a fence and installed checkpoints at the entrance.

Going forward, all guest at the Falghouse had to check-in at the front desk. Someone with an ID badge had to come to the lobby to escort the people up. Many at the Flaghouse felt these security measures were intrusive at first.

Improving security was not the only improvements at the Flaghouse. Residents founded a Boy Scout and Girl Scout troop and various other community activities were started for older children. Residents were able to obtain healthy food from a food co-op. Ultimately, the plan to improve security was holistic.

Learning from the failure in Los Angeles, the contract between the NOI Security Association – Baltimore was for twenty-four-hour coverage. Each of the four building would have 3 – 9 guards. The contract awarded to the firm was for $865,000 per year for sixteen buildings with 6,000 residence. The patrol began June 02, 1993.

The Nation of Islam Security Agency – Baltimore started under an emergency no-bid contract. The original agreement lasted form 1992 to May 1993. Later in 1993, NOI Security Agency – Baltimore won the bid without being the lowest bidder. The firm also hired some non-Muslim guards to show that they did not discriminate. However, friction developed and most of the non-Muslims got fired.

The complex saw an over 50% decrease in crime. However, that did not deter detractors. The Senate investigation began in 1995, and the issue of NOI security became a political quagmire. Many came out in support such as the Congressional Black Caucus and Kweisi Mfume specifically. Maxine Waters defended the NOI in Congressional hearings. Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke also publicly supported the security detail. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough.

The 1993 contract was terminated because in the procurement paperwork the NOI Security Agency – Baltimore referenced work in Washington, DC that was done by a separate company, NOI Security Agency – Washington. Also, 29 of the 173 guards were found to be former felons, and the firm did not do initial drug testing. The firm also agreed to pay guards $11 / hr and most of the guards only got $6/hr. Guards also claimed not to be paid overtime.

Upon the firing of the Nation of Islam Security Association – Baltimore, Wells Fargo guards won the contract. Almost immediately, residents in the high rise complained of lax security. Guards were no longer escorting visitors to rooms. Also, residence saw dealers return to the hallways. Police claimed there had been no change in crime in a town hall meeting in February of 1996. Later that month, an eight-year old boy, Marvin Wise Jr, was killed by a child molester. Wells Fargo Guards lost their contract in 1997.

In November of 1995, the Nation of Islam filed an injunction against the Baltimore Housing Authority. Abdul Arif Muhammad, lawyer and spokesman, claimed the Federal Branch of HUD conspired with various Jewish Groups to end their security contract. HUD defended itself with the fact that the NOI Security Agency’s bid was $1.1 million higher than Wells Fargo’s bid. Also, NOI Security Agency – Baltimore referenced work done by a separate company, NOI Security Agency – Washington. HUD never claimed NOI did a substandard job. The case was dismissed in 1996 for failure to make a case. A lawyer for Wells Fargo claimed the NOI never took a deposition or engaged in the pre-trial proceeding unless for publicity. [102]

The city of Baltimore demolished Flaghouse Courts in 2001.

Philadelphia

Abbottsford Homes of Philadelphia was famous as one of the pilot tenant ran and managed housing projects. It was infamous as an area dense in drugs and violence. The management association decided to have Nation of Islam Security Inc conduct their famous security patrols in the area. Their contract was awarded in July of 1992 for around $200,000 to protect 3,000 residents in 700 units.

As usual, the Anti-defamation League stood in opposition saying that the NOI is a fundamentally racist organization. However, this time another Jewish group came to the NOI’s defense. The American Jewish Committee said they would not stand in the way of the contract and the people of Abbottsford Homes had a right to self-determine.

The first lawsuit came in April of 1993. Clarence Timmons, Craig Muse, and James Parker accused the guards of beating them on fours separate occasions. The suit filed against the management of Abbottsford claimed that the guards use intimidation to establish dominance. In conjunction with the suit, an organization called Abbottsford Concerned Tenants issued a statement saying the guards violated resident’s privacy. The charges by the Concerned Tenants ranged from enforcing curfews on adults and videotaping residents without consent.

The second lawsuit had to do with how the security contract was awarded. Wayne Hood was a member of the Abbottsford Management and allegedly an NOI member. He was accused of telling the NOI bidders the price the other bidders submitted so the NOI could undercut them.

The author could not find articles written on the conclusion of this case.

Chicago

The Chicago Housing Authority was looking for a group to provide unarmed security and management to the Rockwell Gardens Housing Development. In 1994, A joint venture for security provided by New Life Self Development and management from William Moorehead and Associates won a contract to manage the complex. The apartment complex had 4,000 residents in 14 buildings. The contract was awarded for $3.6 million. The contract could not have started at a time security was needed more needed. That March, six children under 14 yo were killed in and around Rockwell Gardens.

Leonard Muhammad was the president of New Life, and he believed in a holistic approach to security. He and the guards stayed in the buildings to get to know the residents. In addition, Muhammad advocated for improved fencing and other barriers. Police cooperation and communication was essential to his scheme. The most important aspect was to bring jobs back to the community. Ultimately, Muhammad saw security as bigger than only increasing guards it was a community effort.

Almost immediately, the Illinois Department of Regulation launched and investigation into how the contract was awarded. The Chicago Tribune also launched a separate investigation. The investigations revealed a massive scandal.

In 1993, Chicago Housing Authority Chairman Vince Lane was in financial trouble. He was heavily invested in Continental Plaza Mall, which was $3 million in debt. Leonard Muhammad agreed to meet with Lane to discuss options. Lane need to land a new vendor for his mall to keep creditors at bay. Muhammad agreed to lease space in the mall for a grocery store at $10,000 a month. Then Muhammad needed a partner to manage the building. Lane delivers William Moorhead and Associates. New Life still needed relevant experience, so they used letters of recommendation from the Nation of Islam Security Agency – Washington, which they were unaffiliated. To ensure all the paperwork was approved by the state, Lane had a woman that was a part-owner in Continental Plaza Mall conduct the review.

Lane and Muhammad also discussed the security contracts for the Housing Authority at the meeting. Muhammad did not have the proper state licensure to guard residences. Lane introduced Muhammad to a company that did have the license, Citywide Detective Agency, and New Life became their subsidiary.

The security force did face a few problems. In June of 1994 two “suburban looking” men were stopped and handcuffed by security guards. The guards accused the men of soliciting prostitutes and detained them until police arrived. The suburban men then accused the guards of impersonating police. The guards were tried and acquitted January of 1995.

Also in 1994, New Life guards saw a group of Traveling Vice Lords beating a woman. The guards intervened to save the woman. Later a group of Vice Lords beat a guard. New Life Supervisor Tyrone Muhammad then shot Vice Lord Robert Jones in retaliation. Muhammad was convicted of murder in 1996.

There were other problems to come. In July of 1994, New Life guards were forced out of an apartment by gang members. Residents began to complain that guards were harassing other residents more than gang members. Audits showed that New Life did not have the number of guards on shift required by the contract. Guards were also not being paid and a third were not registered with the state. Most likely guards were not registered because they were ex-felons. The audit by the Chicago Tribune showed that ten of the thirty were felons. There were incidents of guards being asleep at their station. Later that year a man was shot and it was rumored that a New Life guard was responsible. Due to these problems the security guards were replaced.

Sources for Dopebusters Articles

1

Solomon Michaux Newspaper Articles

Afro American Red Star

“A National Monument to the Progress of A Race” 10-16-1993

Atlanta Daily World

“Elder Michaux to Probe US Slavery” 08-29-1936

Baltimore Afro American
“Washington Turns to Religion and Mysticism in Tents” 09-24-1932
“Elder Michaux Places Satan’s Body in a Coffin” 04-07-1934
“9,000 Watch Michaux Drive Out the Devil” 06-09-1934
“Man You Have is Not Your Husband, Shouts Michaux” 09-15-1934
“Happy Am I Preacher is Ex-Virginia Fisherman” E.Rouzeau 10-06-1934
“Divine No God, Michaux” 10-13-1934
“Michaux is Still Driving Out the Devil in Harlem” 10-20-1934
“Elder Michaux an Evangelist Not A Preacher,says Ridout” by D.L. Ridout 11-10-1934
“Elder Brings War on Divine to Baltimore” 11-17-1934

“Michaux-Divine War Makes Broadway Columnist Chuckle” 12-08-1934

“Daddy Grace Sings ‘Happy Am I’ Dispite Copyright” 04-27-1935
“Elder Michaux’s Film has Private Showing in DC” 05-18-1935

“Michaux Rips Divine and Gets a Nip, Too” 05-01-1937
“Elder Michaux Spent $1100 in Collecting That Amount” 11-13-1937
“9000 to Hear Michaux Link Hitler with God’s Reform Program” 09-06-1941

“Michaux Terms Father Divine Devil Incarnate” M. Alston 08-24-1946
“Elder Michaux Hurt by Death of Deacon” 02-10-1951
“Michaux Denies RFC Fix Aid From Allen” 03-24-1951

“Bibles Dropped Near Russia” 07-11-1953
“Michaux Acquitted in Richmond Court” 07-23-1960
“Founders Day at Michaux’s Church” 03-11-1961
“The White Man is Trouble” by E. Peeks 09-23-1961
“5,000 to Hear Cult Leaders Debate” 09-23-1961
“Michaux Presents JFK with a Burlap Sack” 12-09-1961

“King-Hoover Issue And Elder Michaux” J.D. Williams 02-06-1965
“Picketting by Michaux Draws Blast” 04-10-1965

“Michaux and King” 04-17-1965
“Michaux Critical” 09-07-1968

“Michaux Happy News Noted for Flair, Style, and Drama” by R. Jenkins 10-26-1968
“Millions at Stake in Church Fight” 05-03-1969
“Minister Wins License; Succeeds Elder Michaux” 05-17-1969
“Secret Will to Lightfoot Michaux’s Millions Filed” by I. Ridley 04-04-1970
“Rabbi Abraham Hires Legal Aide in Michaux Will Case” 04-25-1970

Chicago Defender
“Michaux Victor in $50,000 Suit” 05-18-1935

“Elder Brands Divine the Devil” 05-15-1937
“Michaux to War on Father Divine” 08-19-1939

“20,000 Fete Elder Michaux For 20 Years of Religious Broadcasting” 10-06-1951

Cleveland Call and Post
“Elder Michaux Can’t Remember All About Housing Project Deal” by L. Lautier 10-23-1954

“Cassell Sues Michaux for for $962,075 in Housing Scandal” 11-13-1954

New (Norfolk) Journal and Guide
“Michaux Denies He Assaulted Lucas” 04-07-1934

“Elder Michaux Rose to Present Eminence After Peddling Fish” 04-28-1934
“Between the Lines” by G. Hancock 05-12-1934

“$3000 Restaurant Given to Michaux for Church of God” 07-21-1934
“Elder Michaux Blasts Divine” 05-08-1937
“Suit Seeks Check Up of Monies” 10-16-1937

“Cost $1,100 to Collect $1,100, says Michaux” 11-13-1937
“No Gain Made In Newport News, Evangelist Asserts” 11-20-1937
“Elder Michaux Wins Fight Over Property” 06-13-1942
“Elder Michaux Has Proposal In Collaboration with British Cleric” 09-23-1943

“With a Grain of Salt” by A. Davis 10-11-1947

“Elder Michaux’s Bull Stolen, Cattle Russtling Charged” 11-19-1949
“RFC Loaned Elder Michaux $3 Million” 03-17-1951

“Name Elder Michaux in Housing Scandal” 10-09-1954
“Thousands Pay Last Respects to Michaux” 11-02-1968

“Legal Battle Develops Over Michaux Estate” 05-17-1969
“Peninsula Group Wants to Revover Land Sold by Church to Federal Government” by L. Colvin 04-29-1998
“Church Leaders Silent About Land Issue” 06-03-1998

Newport News Daily Press
“Evangelist Flock To NN” 09-06-1992
“The Happy Am I Evangelist:”It Was Exciting Going to Church” by K. Baker 02-07-1995
“Williamsburg Heritage: The Happy Am I Preacher” M. Kirby 02-29-2008
“Preacher Redefined The Black Church” 02-27-2012

New York Amsterdam News
“Happy Am I: Millions Listen to Elder Michaux Radio Televangelist” by E. Rouzeau 09-29-1934
“Michaux raps Divine in War” 10-13-1934
“Say Michaux Asks New RFC Loan” 03-17-1951
“9000 to Hear Muhammad In Capitol” 09-16-1961
“The Church World; Michaux Revival” 07-02-1966
“Heirs Get Elder Michaux’s Millions not Church” by G. Barner 05-03-1969

“Lewis Michaux Executor” 09-06-1969
“Whites Lose Bid to Grab Elder Michaux’s Millions” by S. Anekwe 04-14-1973

New York Times
“Elder Solomon Michaux Dies; Cult Leader Aided Roosevelt” 10-21-1968

Philadelphia Tribune

“Life Span Shortened by Bathing, Elder Michaux Advises Local Audience” 09-27-1934
“Michaux Sponsors Housing Project” 12-06-1941
“Elder Michaux’s White VA Housing Project to Honor Rebel General” 08-03-1965
“Elder Michaux Crony of Three Presidents” 11-22-1968

South Florida Sun Sentienal
“Dairy Farm a Living Memorial to Slaves of 400 years Earlier” by M. Ruane May 2014

Washington Post
“Michaux Founds Race Memorial On Site of US Slave Origin” 08-21-1936
“Michaux Meetings to Open on Sunday” 08-22-1955
“18,000 To See Religious Potryal” 9-17-1956
“Michaux – Muslim Debate Today” 09-10-1961
“Pastor Wants Church to Reflect DC Air” by K.Dole 11-06-1961
“DC Proposes to Raze Elder Michaux’s Stores” 09-07-1962
“Prayer Rule Critized By Michaux” 09-29-1962
“Michaux Bids DC to Spare His Stores” 03-17-1963
“Michaux Denied Delay on Market” 03-30-1963
“Michaux to Give and Explaination” 01-03-1965
“Michaux to Note Anniversary” 02-27-1965
“Elder Michaux Plans VA Homes” by H. Gardner 07-26-1965
“Michaux Plans Baptismal Rights” 09-17-1966
“Mary Michaux. Religious Singer” 10-29-1967
“Michaux Sees Some Answers In 2 Negro Housing Projects” by M. Well 06-24-1968
“Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux Dies at 84” 10-21-1968
“Elder Michaux to Lie in State” 10-22-1968
“Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux, Negro Religious Leader, Dies at 84” by K. Dole 10-21-1968
“3000 To Attend Michaux’s Rites” 10-28-1968
“Memories Bind Tenants of Premier Blak Apartment Complex” by J. Mercer 09-19-1991

2

Solomon Michaux

November 07, 1884 to October 20, 1968

Notable Events

  • Founded the Gospel Spreading is Church of God
  • Hosted gospel radio show “Happiness Hour”
  • Coordinate with FBI to undermine Martin Luther King
  • Erected a monument for Negro Progress
  • Secured federally subsides housing called Mayfair Mansions
  • Credited for song “Happy Am I”
  • Pioneer in television and radio ministry
  • Real Estate Mogul
  • First Preacher to have his own TV show

Solomon Michaux was born in Newport News on November 7, 1884. His father owned a grocery that young Solomon would work in his younger years. Luckily, Solomon inherited his father’s business savvy and in 1906 he was able to land a government contract to supply the local defense department with groceries.

With the success from his early business venture, he was able to move him and his young wife Mary Eliza to Hopewell, VA. There he and a colleague founded Everybody’s Mission in 1917. The mission was affiliated with the Church of Christ which ordained him. Those tent revivals proved Michaux’s ability as an evangelist.

In 1919, Michaux founded the Gospel Spreading Church of God. This stout bible believing church that thought segregation had no place in the house of the lord. In 1929, Michaux and other congregants were arrested for having an integrated church service. After a short stint in jail Michaux was released with more religious zeal than ever. He went on to found seven more churches.

The revivals of the Church of God were mostly integrated. Michaux was one of the most popular preachers in the country. One revival in Berlin, PA was attended by 10,000 white men. The Washington Evening Star referred to him as a national power. He even packed DC’s Major League Baseball Stadium in 1951. So in many ways he was a pioneer in integration of worship.

Michaux’s business acumen was not satisfied with spreading the gospel. He embarked on a massive real estate venture in Virginia in 1936. At its peak, it encompassed 1,100 acres in a farmers co-op. The goal was to create cooperative complex that would have hundreds of five-acre farms black people could buy. It would be a stand-alone municipality with administration buildings, museums, schools, and entertainment. A monument to the Negro’s loyalty to the white man would be at the entrance. The project was never fully successful, but black farmers operated a few of the farms until early 2000.

His prominence as a church founder lead opportunities to spread the “good news” in many different forms. WJSV of Alexandria Va broadcast a gospel show “Happiness Hour” with Michaux as the host. The show was so successful it expanded to 50 CBS affiliates. His ultimate gospel broadcasting was a television show on the DuMont Television Network from 1947 to 1949. It was one of the first broadcasts hosted by a black man.

Michaux’s show was known for the jazzy gospel tunes such as “Happy Am I”. The show was upbeat and designed to improve the mood of a person going through hardship. A person was to serve G-d through being happy no matter what their circumstances.

A patriotic conservative pro-establishment theology undergrided Michaux’s show and preaching style. As a result of the conservative ideology Michaux came to oppose the March on Washington in 1963 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. He also lauded FBI director J. Edgar Hoover as a soldier of G-d. Martin Luther King was accused of being godless and a Communist stooge. G-d ordained the current order and man should not interfere with the divine order.

The “Happiness Hour” was popular in black America. However, blacks began to sour on Michaux after two public stunts. The first was an open letter 1964 lauding Hoover and demonizing King. In traditional fashion,Michaux defends the current order and those, like Hoover, work to preserve it. In the letter, Michaux praises the FBI’s work to find perpetrators of violence toward blacks and whites. King is characterized as a rabble-rouser causing more harm than good. Most of the black press defended King against Michaux and he began to loose popularity.

The last straw was Michaux’s protest against the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1965. The Baltimore conference was protested by more than 100 Church of G-d members. Black America viewed this protest as largely staged and saw Michaux as a puppet.

Washington, DC owes much of its history to Solomon Michaux. In addition, to owning the “Happy Times” restaurant, he was instrumental in the founding of Mayfair Mansions. This housing development was the only Federally subsidized middle-class housing development in the country. Opening in 1946 , Mayfair Mansions was declared a National Historic Site in 1989.

A stroke claimed Michaux’s life in 1968. Three thousand people attended his funeral. He was loved regionally in the DC area. But nationally he was seen as a sell-out. As the late 1960s made black liberation more militant and conservative preachers were seen as race traitors. Eventually, Michaux faded into obscurity.

Due to a freedom of information act request in 2017, it was discovered that Michaux was part of a FBI program to influence clergy. The landmark work of Lerone Martin was first published in Religion and Politics Fit for Polite Company and Religion and American Culture details Michaux’s role in the FBI plot. The story was also reported in the New York Times and Kolumn Magazine. These articles brought Michaux’s name back from obscurity.

The FBI realized religion is an important tool in social justice. Therefore, those that promoted a theology that supported the status quo needed to be promoted. The Bureau commission clergymen of many faiths and races to promote a conservative political agenda. Solomon Michaux was one of those pastors. His ability at evangelizing through television and radio made him a stand-out. His blackness validated the conservative theology in a way a white pastor could not. The fact a black man agreed that no social movement or change is needed meant that his life and social circle nobody was suffering.

Now it is important to realize Michaux actually was a conservative Christian. His theology before he began working for the bureau in 1939 was also conservative. He believed the Bible did not sanction segregation or discrimination. However, the black man as a group does exist at a lower state. Slavery was one mechanism to civilize black people and bring them up to par with with whites. Segregation and current discrimination was just part of that process. Because Michaux had this philosophy the Bureau recruited him for collaboration.

In Michaux’s theology, the races will only integrate with Jesus comes into the heart of all individuals. The primary unit of social change is the individual. So any attempts to force change on people was outside the will of G-d. All movements for social change including the Civil Rights Movement could only be led by godless communist.

Analysis

To call Michaux a sell-out or Uncle Tom would be too easy. In Spiral Dynamics terminology, he is a Blue Meme Upper Left Reductionist. He sees the entire problem of segregation stemming from individual moral failings. King took a four quadrants approach. Upper Left represented by his spiritual growth. Upper Right represented by Nonviolent Direct Action. Lower Left represented by the foundations and philosophy of the various organizations started by King. The Lower Left represented by the left-wing policies he pursued.

Another difference between King and Michaux was what they believed caused the present racial hierarchy. King believed the present racial hierarchy was the result of the “fall of man”. Michaux saw it as a result of G-d’s divine providence. So both men saw integration as an positive end, but Michaux believed the current situation was needed to develop black people.

Key Take-Aways

Christianity like all other religions is neutral in the fight for social justice. What makes a religion a force in the fight is the way it is interpreted. Giving spiritual leaders a proper political education and political leaders a proper spiritual education is key in proper leadership. The two fields can’t be separated. The general public must understand how all these elements factor into their ability to obtain freedom.

Sources

  1. https://www.thechurchofgodatwilliamsburg.org/eldermichaux.htm
  2. https://www.encyclopedia.com/african-american-focus/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/michaux-solomon-lightfoot
  3. https://blackpast.org/aah/michaux-elder-solomon-lightfoot-c-1885-1968
  4. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/us/black-evangelist-elder-michaux-opposed-dr-king.html
  5. https://religionandpolitics.org/2018/04/03/new-documents-reveal-how-the-fbi-deployed-a-televangelist-to-discredit-martin-luther-king/
  6. http://www.kolumnmagazine.com/2018/04/05/black-evangelist-opposed-dr-king-new-york-times/
  7. “Bereau Clergyman: How the FBI Colluded with and African American Televangelist to Destroy Martin Luther King” by Lerone Martin Religion and American Culture Winter 2018 Cambridge University Press
  8. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mlks-speech-attracted-fbis-intense-attention/2013/08/27/31c8ebd4-0f60-11e3-8cdd-bcdc09410972_story.html?utm_term=.667499fc9dde
1

Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux Series

Introduction

Michaux: Father of Churches

Presidents, Prophecy, and Patronage

G-d’s Role For Black People

Michaux’s Real Estate and Government Aide

Sources for All Articles

  1. Sparks From the Anvil by Solomon Michaux 1950 Vintage Press
  2. About My Fathers Business: The Life of Elder Michaux by Lillian Ashcroft Webb 1981 Greenwood Press
  3. “Michaux the Prophet” by Lillian Ashcroft Web
  4. Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux: His Social and Political Interest and Influence by Lillian Aschcroft Poe 1975
  5. Newspaper Articles
  6. https://gospelspreadingchurch.org/
  7. https://www.thechurchofgodatwilliamsburg.org/blackhistory.htm
1

The Government Surveillance of MLK

The Soviet Revolution of 1918 put Capitalist all over the world on notice. The idea of the poor banding together to overthrow the rich was terrifying to the world establishment. In America, the group most likely to foment that type of rebellion was African Americans. Army Intelligence began an extensive investigation of all black liberation organization.

Black people had been organizing for civil rights since the Civil War. After Reconstruction there were numerous efforts to retain and expand voting rights, education access, and employment opportunities. Army Intelligence began surveying these efforts for Communist influence in 1917.

The first member of Dr. King’s family with an FBI file was Reverend A.D. Williams, King’s maternal grandfather. He was pastor at Ebeneezer Baptist Church, which was known as an institute of agitation in the Atlanta area. Williams was the first president of the Atlanta NAACP. Martin Luther King Sr. inherited both the government surveillance and the pastor-ship in 1931. Scrutiny was increased by the government as Daddy King became involved with the National Negro Congress (NNC). At the time the government believed the NNC was working with the Soviets to overthrow the government and build a black ethno-state.

Army Intelligence began a file of Martin Luther King Jr in 1947 during his freshman year in college. King Jr was involved in the intercollegiate council and one of the facility liaison’s was a suspected communist.

One of Dr. King’s early connections to the Communist movement was Stanley Levison. It was true that Levison was connected to the communist party early on but broke all ties in 1957 before he met King. Many members of the American Communist party left once that saw the atrocities committed by the Soviet Union. Levison did help secure funds for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) through other former Communists.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had an independent effort to investigate Communist in the black liberation movement. J. Edgar Hoover made his personal feelings know on the black liberation movement known in a 1958 Congressional testimony. He believed the Civil Rights Movement was a ploy to allow Communists to infiltrate and take over America. As the work of Lerone Martin shows, the Bureau had a coordinated effort to implant conservative pastors in white and black churches that support the status quo. They also kept a close eye of revolutionary pastor such as Dr. King.

In 1962, an FBI investigation was done to determine if Dr. King and other Civil Rights Leaders had contact with communist. The investigation proved that the Civil Rights Movement had not been infiltrated. In fact, the movement was too religious to be influenced by atheists.

Later in the same year King criticize the FBI, calling them a tool of White Supremacy. He went even further in saying that a segregationist couldn’t investigate an integration movement in impartial manner. Hoover responded by calling King a Communist in from of the National Women’s Press Club. This personal feud between Hoover and King will last the rest of King’s life. The FBI’s investigation and sabotage of King was fueled by personal vengeance, not any provable ties to the Communist Party.

The next associate King was affiliated with that was said to have communist ties was Stokley Carmichael. Carmichael was a chairman in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was know for criticizing King’s stands on non-violence. The intelligence community alleged that Carmichael was working with the Organization of Latin American Solidarity (OLAS), which was training black guerrillas in Cuba.

King was very clear on his feelings about Stokley Carmichael. Both men believed in stopping interventionist wars and advancing Civil Rights. Carmichael never advocated racism or direct violence in front of Dr. King. King also did not view Carmichael’s position on black separation as racist. He understood Carmichael’s position did not come from the belief that whites were inferior but frustration in the advancement of a movement. Essentially, Carmichael did not want to be surrounded by people that meant him harm. So violence would only be part of Carmichael’s movement if white infringed on black self-determination. King made clear he would not advocate for violence under any circumstance.

Excerpts from conversations that were recorded by Army Intelligence that were published in a 1993 article by the Memphis Commercial Appeal show King advocated for non-violence when talking to Carmichael. King was steadfast in the position that the black man had a place in America and the destiny of all Americans was tied together. So again Martin Luther King showed no ill will toward the government.

The FBI went on a smear campaign of King led by Solomon Michaux. FBI henchmen would attack King’s credentials as a clergyman. Rumors began that King was not only adulterous, but a sex addict. Other henchmen claimed King only used the position as preacher for political advantage. The most sinister act in this campaign was sending king an “anonymous” bundle of tapes with a letter. The tapes were audio of someone having sex. The letter stated that these tapes would be pegged to Dr. King to destroy his name if he did not leave the spotlight or commit suicide.

King made two attempts to squelch the animosity between him and Hoover. In 1964, the men met to personally discuss the Civil Rights Movement. Hoover flew into a rage and went on an hour long diatribe attacking King. In 1965, King sent a delegation of pastors to make the case that King and the SCLC did not have communist ties. Hoover and the rest of the Bureau denied any crusade to sabotage or discredit King.

Many throughout the years have speculated that King was assassinated by government force or James Earl Ray did not act alone. The first investigation to absolve the Memphis police Department was 1977. It was followed by the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1979. The most prominent investigator is Dr. William Pepper. Dr. Pepper was the man that aided in King coming to his anti-war Vietnam stance. Also, Pepper got King involved with the National Conference for new Politics. To date, Dr. Pepper has written three books on the governments role in the King assassination.

In 1999, a Civil lawsuits was levied against Loyd Jowers. Jowers was a cook in the restaurant below the boarding house Ray stayed at and allegedly fired the fatal shot. This trial concluded Jowers and a host of government agencies conspired to kill King

The Department of Justice conducted a counter investigation in 2000 to debunk the results of the Jowers trial. The summary of the investigation can be found online and in the “Source” links below. Ultimately, they dismiss evidence in the trial as hear-say evidence and point to inconsistencies in the testimonies since the time of King’s death. The report never denies the FBI surveiled King and his family or conducted a defamation campaign. The report denies direct government involvement in King’s death set in motion by Hoover or Johnson. Most people that study the investigation find it odd that King was killed one year to the day of his famous anti-war Riverside Church speech. The report from the year 2000 came to the same conclusions as government investigations in 1977 and 1979, that James Earl Ray was the lone shooter.

Sources

  1. “Army Feared King Secretly Watched Him” by S Tompkins Memphis Commercial Appeal 3-21-1993 HERE
  2. Bureau Clergyman: How the FBI Colluded with an African American Televangelist to Destroy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr by L. Martin Religion and American Culture 2018
  3. “New Book Looks at Martin Luther King Jr’s Dangerous Friendship” on KPBS News uploaded 01-15-2015 This is an interview with author Ben Kain
  4. “King’s New York Connection: MLK Jr’s Friendship with Stanley Levison”by M Schuerman http://www.wnyc.org
  5. “Stanley David Levison” http://www.kinginstitute.stanford.edu
  6. “Martin Luther King’s Dangerous Friendship” by B. Kamin http://www.foward.com/culture
  7. “The FBI and Martin Luther King” by D. Garrow http://www.theatlantic.com
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVZscDBP2XE
  9. June 2000 Investigation of the Recent Allegations Regarding the Assissination of Dr. Martin Luther King HERE
  10. National Archives Record of 1979 House Select Committee on Assissinations HERE
1

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑