What was Noble Drew Ali’s view of race, and how is it linked to or the forerunner of Nation of Islam’s view of race?
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America's national identity in the 1920s was entrenched in racism and xenophobia. It is critical to understand that white Americans truly believed that their way of life was in danger, Senator Albert Johnson of Washington "viewed 'homogeneity' as a necessary component in the preservation of American institutions," as did President Coolidge (Curtis 52). Noble Drew Ali's view on race should be viewed in the context of America in the 1920s. Like Americans who pushed for white "homogeneity" within the country, Noble Drew Ali's belief in black particularism, linked to his idea of black nationalism, mirrored this idea of homogeny but with black folks. Ali denied the idea of biological blackness and believed that racial purity was necessary for black redemption, denouncing interracial relationships like Marcus Garvey. Ali believed that peace would ensue once black people "separate along racial lines from their oppressors" (Curtis 55). At the same time, he also said that Asiatic peoples were of "Divine origin," believing in their superiority.
Noble Drew Ali's understanding of race and black particularism can be strongly linked to the Nation of Islam's understanding of race. The Nation of Islam believed that "black-skinned people are direct descendants of the creative dark 'atom' of the universe: they are divine, 'Original Man,' and their true religion is Islam" (Bowen 170). The story continues by stating that 6,600 years ago, a rebel black scientist, unhappy with his position on Earth, genetically removed the black "germ." Ancient scientists had discovered that all black people contained two "germs" in their genotype—one black and one brown. In hopes of eradicating darker-skinned babies, the scientist eventually removed the black germ, which held divinity, from a percentage of the population, thereby creating the white group. White people, who were seen as lacking humanity, became the "devils" and oppressors of black people. In this process, the scientist also created "the brown-, yellow-, and red-skinned people of the earth" (Bowen 170). Because all these groups contained some of the original divine "germ," they were considered "Original Man." In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, El-Shabazz goes into more detail about how "the white devil man" came to be. This rebel scientist, known as Mr. Yacub began preaching about how he could breed races scientifically in Mecca and, once he had 59,999 followers, was exiled to the island of Patamos. Upset with Allah and out for revenge, Yacub decided to create the devil race (white people) by "setting up a eugenics law on the island" (El-Shabazz 165). After generations, the white race had officially been born and were sent back to the mainland. Followers of the Nation of Islam were taught that "within six months time... this devil race had turned what had beeen a peaceful heaven on earth into a hell torn by quarreling and fighting" (El-Shabazz 166). Through the story of how white people were created, the Nation of Islam reinforces the necessity of racial purity and separation, as seen in Drew Ali's beliefs of black particularism. The NOI believed in black superiority which parallels Ali's assertion of Asiatic peoples - the Moors - being of "Divine origin."