Build Black Economy
BUILD BLACK ECONOMY
By Elijah Muhammad, Messenger of Allah
Reprinted from the October 22, 1971 edition of Muhammad Speaks Newspaper
(EDITOR’S NOTE: These wise words of warning and Black economic
direction by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad are repeated by popular
demand. The depth of Messenger Muhammad’s teachings — as always — takes
on added meaning as history becomes more manifest, even as this profound
article was written long before the white powers of the U.S. admitted the
depths of the country’s economic chaos.
BLACK ECONOMY is one of the first steps that is necessary for the BLACK
MAN to take; FROM ECONOMY IN HIS HOME to farms and factories.
WE BOAST that we are free. To boast of FREEDOM OF SELF, means that you
are one who is responsible for your economic condition.
A PEOPLE dependent upon another people to take your responsibility, means
that you are putting yourself in the position to be a SUBJECT PEOPLE, to
another people, who are free.
IF WE LOOK FORWARD to our slave-masters, to teach us economy, it may
prove a failure in the end, unless they are friends of ours, instead of
our open enemies.
THE WHITE AMERICANS have proved themselves to be our open enemies. If we
watch them in order to learn their way of economy, we will become a most
extravagant people.
AMERICA, who has become the most wealthy people on the face of the earth,
is also one of the most extravagant and wasteful people on the earth.
SO, WE THE BLACK PEOPLE, the once-slave and now a SUBJECT PEOPLE should
not try to adopt the economic ways of a people who cannot truthfully say
that they practice economy, among themselves.
THEREFORE, America produces a slave who is also extravagant, with what
little he gets. He has his eyes and mind set upon obtaining aid from his
extravagant master. He hopes to be, in time, just like his master. Since
he has never had any other master or guide than his slave-master, he
imitates his master.
HIS SLAVE-MASTER keeps him down, by not caring to teach him economy. As
long as the once-slave tries to practice to be the equal of his master,
before he ever learns and practices SELF-ECONOMY, the slave-master will
always keep him in want, because of such extravagant ideas.
CERTAINLY WE WANT WEALTH. We cannot enjoy life without wealth, but we
should economize that wealth until we are equal with other nations in the
way of economics.
LIVING UNDER and TAKING AS AN EXAMPLE, one of the most rich and powerful
governments on earth, should give us a good lead toward self, in the way
of wealth. With this wealth economized, the slave should emerge very
powerful, for himself.
WHITE AMERICANS (some of them), offer help to us. But it is disgusting to
the teacher to find that when he looks back, he sees that you are not
practicing economics.
THERE ARE SOME WHITE PEOPLE WHO hate to see the once-slave bending under
the yoke, and they are sincere. But, be careful in accepting help from a
tricknologist who would like to trick you into a worse state, by
pretending friendship, for you.
THE BEST BLACK BUSINESS AND POLITICAL MINDS of our people need training
into the KNOWLEDGE of SELF and the future, FOR SELF.
STOP TRYING to be OTHER THAN YOUR OWN SELF. Do not depend on OTHER THAN
YOU OWN SELF for your BLACK FUTURE. DEPENDING on SELF TODAY will keep
you from making grave mistakes TOMORROW. WE MUST NOT depend on SELF for
help, WE MUST DEPEND ON THE HELP OF ALLAH (God).
THE ABOVE SAID business and political minded of our people, being without
the KNOWLEDGE of SELF and how to BUILD the most proper and successful
ECONOMY among the BLACK MAN, is due to his being proud of what the white
slave-master has taught him, of himself.
THIS TEACHING from the slave-master is designed to always keep him
SUBJECT to the slave-master’s children.
WE NEED TERRITORY IN WHICH TO EXPAND. We need some of this GOOD EARTH
here or there so that we can BUILD a SYSTEM of ECONOMY.
YOU, MR. POLITICIAN AND MR. PROFESSOR, are so willing to stay under the
official shelter of the business and political white man, that you have
very little love and mercy for the tens-of-millions of your own people
out here, trying to suck blood out of a turnip.
CREATE IN YOUR OWN HEART, love for your own people, who are wallowing in
the mud and who are suffering from hunger and lack of shelter.
THE BIBLE PROPHECY, relating to the PROFESSIONAL Black once-slave, is
very sad. Even their spiritual leaders, the preachers are denounced by
Jesus, in his prophecy. Bible Is. Chap. 56, Matt. 23:13
WE MUST TRY TO BEAT this prophecy if we can. THIS IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO
DO.
DO NOT GET THE IDEA of robbing the ALREADY ROBBED Black People, just
because you have learned HOW to rob them from the teachings of the
slave-master and his children.
THIS IS ONE OF THE HABITUAL practices on the part of the PROFESSIONAL
CLASS, of our people.
IF YOU MAKE THE LABORER WEALTHY, he is still in your orbit and you share
in it. HE WILL LOVE AND HONOR you if you enable h im to become
SELF-SUFFICIENT.
I SPEND ALL OF MY TIME, NIGHT AND DAY, trying to do just this one
thing…raise a FALLEN and DEAD people, to their feet, so that they may
GO FOR SELF and BUILD FOR SELF, but not on the pattern of his
slave-master which is robbery, spoiling, and corruption of each other.
COME ALONG WITH ME, if you would love to BUILD an ECONOMIC SYSTEM for our
people under the name BLACK, which is adopted from me, by you, for the
last few years.
I have been PREACHING BLACK for about 39 years. IF YOU ARE GOING TO TEACH
MY TEACHINGS and FOLLOW ME, in the teachings of BLACK and BLACK DOING FOR
BLACK, it would be wise of you to go along with me, while you have only
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF, alone, will not work against the POWERFUL FORCE which is
against you. YOU MUST HAVE DIVINE HELP and NATIONS OF YOUR KIND, with
you. I have these things.
COME LEARN FROM ME, and do something GOOD for our people, instead of
robbing our people, under a name…BLACK. THAT IS LIKE TRADING THE LION
FOR A WOLF.
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