The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan announced that he would lead the members of the Fruit of Islam, the men of the Nation of Islam, into the streets to stem the bloody tide of violence that has gripped Chicago and many cities across America in an interview with the “governor of talk radio” Cliff Kelley of WVON 1690AM July 6.
Despite record-breaking heat outside, Minister Farrakhan arrived at the radio studio looking cool, calm and focused for the discussion with his long-time friend.
Mr. Kelley spoke of the recent killing of seven-year-old Heaven Sutton, who sadly was gunned down outside of her family’s Westside home as she sold candy and cold drinks with her mother. She was buried earlier that day. Minister Farrakhan addressed the killing going on in Chicago, which has made nationwide headlines.
“When the Nation of Islam was strong, we were in the streets and when we were in the streets, the violence—we had it—but it was not like it is today, so Brother Farrakhan is going to lead the Fruit of Islam into the streets. We are going to help our people,” said Minister Farrakhan. “We have to take our teaching and our example to our people,” said Minister Farrakhan.
“It is a tremendous tragedy and a scourge on our community that after we have suffered so much from so many, for so long, that we would become the worst enemies of self. This is grievous. We are filled with self-hatred and I have to say to us as parents, we took our eyes off the prize,” he added.
When Dr. King and the civil rights movement opened the door for integration and made great strides in the areas of politics, education, employment, and public accommodations, those who lived through the era did not sit down and teach the struggle to the generations that followed, the Minister noted.
“I say this to those who ‘so-called’ are wise and want to retire, there’s too much ignorance in our community for us to retire. Young men for war, old men and women for counsel. It’s the counsel of the elders that is missing in the community, and it is such that there is such a gap that the youth sometimes don’t want to hear from their elders. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” - Minister Farrakhan -
“The only way leaders will unite is when there is a cause bigger than our vanity, bigger than our egos and the cause is the survival of our people for we are facing extinction,” he added.
He said the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the presence of the men of the Nation of Islam could forestall some of the senseless violence, and the youth have to be given gainful employment.
“We have to put our young people to work and give them hope that there is a better life for us, not sitting around waiting for President Obama or others to create enough jobs for us. We have to get together and create jobs for ourselves and our people and this we hope to share with all of our people because the battle is in our hands now, and we should take up the challenge to create jobs, employment and give our people intelligent discourse that they may come alive as human beings rather than the way we are acting at present,” the Minister said.
He also chided some spiritual leaders for their “bourgeois attitude” staying inside of their houses of worship while death, havoc, and mayhem fills the streets. The young people don’t feel a connection with the religious leaders, nor do they feel the presence of love, he said.
Then, with specialized training and highly militarized police forces in the cities of America, the Minister, spoke words of warning.“Time is on our side, but time can be our enemy if we don’t act in accord with the time,” said Minister Farrakhan. “A slaughter is on the way if we don’t make the change now,” he said.