BY ASHAHED M. MUHAMMAD
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (FinalCall.com) – The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan told students November 9 they must use knowledge they are gaining to free Black people from dependence on their enemies through becoming producers and leaders in providing needed services.
“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught me that if a man won’t treat you right, what would make you think that he would teach you right?” asked Minister Farrakhan. “The same people that enslaved us will never send you a teacher that will free you from their grip.”
“The person that has knowledge has potential power to remove any impediment in the pathway of our progress,” he added.
Speaking at Prairie View A&M University for the first time since December 1988, Minister Farrakhan addressed nearly 4,000 students in the William “Billy” Nicks arena with words of wisdom, encouragement and guidance. The audience sat and listened attentively for nearly two hours as the Minister in his unique way, gave instruction from the Bible, the Holy Qur’an and historical anecdotes, to prepare the minds of the next generation of Black leaders. Prairie View A&M offered him a $5,000 honorarium to appear, however, he turned it down and asked them to give a scholarship instead.
Prior to his arrival, the campus was buzzing with excitement and there was electricity in the air of the arena. Even though many of the Black fraternities, sororities and other organizations were preparing for various events related to its approaching homecoming celebration, this particular Wednesday night event was a time for serious reflection and sober-minded thinking.
In his remarks, the Minister challenged the “bourgeoisie” thinking that often infects the minds of the Black community’s educated class.
“What is the purpose of education? Are we just in school to get an education so that we can go out and get a job and make some money, ride in a car, live in a nice home, abandon the ghetto and leave your brothers and sisters behind and think that we’ve made progress in the world? Is this what God intended when he asked us to go after knowledge from the cradle to the grave?” he asked the audience.
Hosted by the members of Students Participating in Transcendent Knowledge (S.P.I.T. Knowledge) and the Nation of Islam Student Association, the arena was filled with students from Prairie View A&M as well as Texas Southern University, whose students chartered a bus and made the hour-long road trip to hear his message. Lines stretched down the street in front of the arena as waves of young college students flowed through turnstiles until the arena reached capacity.
For many of the students, it was the first time they heard the Minister speak live and in person.
Minister Farrakhan talked to the students about their potential power, noting few human beings— though created in God’s image and likeness—are manifesting the attributes and characteristics of God. Even though humans are referred to in the scriptures as “the glory of God,” many fail to recognize the divinity that exists within. God has never created anything that is mediocre, he said.
“The Qur’an and the Bible says everything that God creates glorifies Him, but man and woman are referred to as The Glory of God. That’s who you are, but you have not recognized how great you are,” he said. “Everything that God has created is marked with excellence. Then how could we be The Glory of God and not have within us gifts from Him that will manifest His presence?”
The Minister continued: “When we walk God walks. When we talk God talks. When we fight God fights—if you are connected to God. And the aim of the enemy is to disconnect the people from the source of their power, their strength, their wisdom, their knowledge and their life,” he said. “We need a teacher. We need somebody to give us guidance and that’s why the enemy has not wanted Farrakhan to be on the college campus.”
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