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would have to have responsibility to
keep that money.”
Bi
People want to know if
Dwayne is going to change
his name legally.
“The Honorable Elijah
Muhammad taught us that
the names that we have in
America aren’t our legal names. You
have Eatmon, or like my brother,
Professor Hall. Hall isn’t his last
name. What is Hall? Our foreparents,
coming from Africa, a lot of them
were Muslims and they already had
holy names. But they were taken
from us by the slave master. So as a
Muhammad, we don’t have to change
our names legally because they are
not our legal names in the first place.”
Bi
Black man and woman act like they
don’t want to be taught or like they
don’t need to bp taught. But all of us
can learn from one another. So now,
my outlook in the Nation is just to be
patient with our people, but not too
patient. Time is running out. The
Nation of Islam, whether people like it
or not or believe it or not, is fulfilling
the fulfillment of the scriptures of the
Bible and the Holy Qur’an. So now,
it’s not time to joke or play, it’s time
to get to work.”
How have your perceptions of
the Nation changed? What
was it like when you first
came into the Nation?
Bi
What are some mispercep
tions people have of the
Nation?
“At times, people have told
me that the Nation of Islam
was a gang and that the
brothers carried guns and had
weapons like it was a Mafia type thing,
like a black Mafia.”
“When I first came into the
Nation, I was always hyped.
The first book I read was
Message to the Blackman.. And as I
gained knowledge. I’d try to teach my
brothers and sisters. And in school, it
caused a lot of problems, but I didn t
care. Because when you first join the
Nation, anybody, when you hear the
knowledge of self—the teachings of
the most Honorable Elijah
Muhammad, it’s like the explosion of
an atomic bomb, the energy that’s
released. You’re extra-energized and
you want to share it with everybody.
As I grew in the Nation of Islam, I
learned more of the trials and of the
tribulations we had to go through to
try to teach our people. It’s a hard job
trying to teach the Black man and
woman in America. A lot of times, the
Bi
Because of stuff that hap
pened in the projects in DC
and stuff like that?
Have you noticed any differ
ence in the way people
respond to you since you’ve
gotten your Muhammad?
Bi
“One instance, a friend of
mine and I were talking about
how people would react to me
having a Muhammad. And I figured it
wouldn’t be different. I’m still
Dwayne, I’m still your brother. You’ve
known me however long you’ve been
at Carolina, so if you know me, you’ll
talk to me regardless.”
So Dwayne X turned 21 and
Dwayne X became Dwayne
Muhammad. Where is
Dwayne Muhammad ten years from
now when he turns 31?
Bi
“Right, but with the brothers,
as far as like security, we’re
taught to come to other
brothers that may be selling drugs or
acting disrespectful with love. We’re
taught that they’re God too. The
essence of God is within them as
within us. And usually, if you ask a
brother to leave an area, they’ll leave.
Every once in a while, you’ll have a
few hardheads, but we’re taught never
to be the aggressors. So if they
aggress upon us, then we fight in the
name of Allah.”
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(Lonff Pause)
“That’s a pretty difficult
question because with
minister Farrakahn’s Friendship
Tour, he’s opening up doors for us
to go to other countries where our
brothers and sisters are.
Hopefully, I will be in one of those
countries in Africa or the so-called
Middle East, helping those who
are my brothers advance their civ
ilization. Hopefully, I won’t be
here in America, but that’s on the
positive tip.”