Final Call
By Charlene Muhammad and Barrington Salmon

Our queen and our giant in the Black struggle

LOS ANGELES—The world is celebrating the life of Aretha Franklin, the incomparable, beloved songstress and Queen of Soul. The 76-year-old passed away in mid-August surrounded by family in her Detroit home due to advanced pancreatic cancer.

Her funeral, limited to family and friends, will be held Aug. 31 in her beloved City of Detroit at Greater Grace Temple, said publicist Gwendolyn Quinn. Public viewings will take place Aug. 28-29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

Ms. Franklin will be entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, along with her father Rev. C.L. Franklin; sisters Carolyn Franklin and Erma Franklin; brother Cecil Franklin; and nephew Thomas Garrett. She departed this life on Aug. 16.

Across the world came tributes and highlights of Ms. Franklin’s career as an incredible, transcendent songstress. » FULL STORY

Aretha Franklin: Our Queen And Our Giant In The Black Struggle

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

It is with great pain and sorrow that we reflect on and mourn the loss of this magnificent woman of extreme value. Her value is not only the beautiful gift of her voice, but also the sweetness of her soul, and the deep sensitivity that was her gift, to feel the hurt and pain throughout the world.


Murder trial opens: Dallas cop killed Black youth in car driving from scene

By Brian Muhammad

A former Balch Springs, Texas cop who fired bullets into the car of Black teens that included 15-year-old Jordan, is on trial for murder.


Painful deaths, politics and a city in crisis?

By by Bryan Crawford -Contributing Writer-

News headlines described Chicago as a “war zone” after an especially disturbing outbreak of violence and Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Department superintendent Eddie Johnson were accused of trying to manage damage control, instead of seeking solutions to a major and deadly problem, by some critics.


Amid Calls For Shutting Down Asian Salon, Calls For More Thriving Black Businesses

By Janiah Adams And Daleel Muhammad

NEW YORK—Karla Cerrington has never seen business quite like she did the first week of August. Her nail salon, The Nail Belle, off of Malcolm X Blvd in Brooklyn, is located about three to four miles away from New Red Apple Nail Salon, where two Black women were allegedly beaten by Asians following a dispute.


Family of stabbing victims prepare to file suit and also honored by NBA star

By Charlene Muhammad -National Correspondent-

Attorneys for the family of 18-year-old Nia Wilson killed at knife-point in Oakland are preparing to file a lawsuit against BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) for failing to protect its riders. The Arns Law Firm also represents Nia’s sisters, Letifah, also a victim of the attack, and Tashiya.


Our queen and our giant in the Black struggle

By Charlene Muhammad and Barrington Salmon

LOS ANGELES—The world is celebrating the life of Aretha Franklin, the incomparable, beloved songstress and Queen of Soul. The 76-year-old passed away in mid-August surrounded by family in her Detroit home due to advanced pancreatic cancer.

Her funeral, limited to family and friends, will be held Aug. 31 in her beloved City of Detroit at Greater Grace Temple, said publicist Gwendolyn Quinn. Public viewings will take place Aug. 28-29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

Ms. Franklin will be entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, along with her father Rev. C.L. Franklin; sisters Carolyn Franklin and Erma Franklin; brother Cecil Franklin; and nephew Thomas Garrett. She departed this life on Aug. 16.

Across the world came tributes and highlights of Ms. Franklin’s career as an incredible, transcendent songstress.


Murder trial opens: Dallas cop killed Black youth in car driving from scene

By Brian Muhammad

A former Balch Springs, Texas cop who fired bullets into the car of Black teens that included 15-year-old Jordan, is on trial for murder.


Women winners, progressive challengers and election questions

By Askia Muhammad -Senior Editor-

WASHINGTON—In 1968, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich) said he approached Rep. Adam Clayton Powell (D-N.Y.), the Dean of Black members of Congress with the idea of forming a Congressional Black Caucus.


Painful deaths, politics and a city in crisis?

By by Bryan Crawford -Contributing Writer-

News headlines described Chicago as a “war zone” after an especially disturbing outbreak of violence and Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Department superintendent Eddie Johnson were accused of trying to manage damage control, instead of seeking solutions to a major and deadly problem, by some critics.


Amid Calls For Shutting Down Asian Salon, Calls For More Thriving Black Businesses

By Janiah Adams And Daleel Muhammad

NEW YORK—Karla Cerrington has never seen business quite like she did the first week of August. Her nail salon, The Nail Belle, off of Malcolm X Blvd in Brooklyn, is located about three to four miles away from New Red Apple Nail Salon, where two Black women were allegedly beaten by Asians following a dispute.


ANC targeting 139 South African farms for expropriation, without compensation

By Jehron Muhammad

The question of land reform is front and center in South Africa. “We want to redress an historic injustice. We want to take everybody along in achieving an equitable society,” Rural Affairs and Land Reform Deputy Minister Mcebisi Skwatsha said recently.


Iranian President Rouhani: U.S. must prove willing to solve problems through negotiations

By PressTV

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the U.S. administration must prove itself willing to solve problems through negotiations after its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and a number of other international treaties.


Ethiopia prime minister tells UAE Crown Prince: ‘You’ve lost the religion’

By Jehron Muhammad

Ethiopia has begun a dramatic turnaround. Already this year, after facing widespread unrest and violent protests against a government that appeared unresponsive and entrenched, new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has led a “dramatic turnaround.”


Africa Watch - Barack Obama’s words and his Africa policy

By Jehron Muhammad

America’s first Black president may have been the honorary speaker at the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Nelson Mandela but his record with Africa as U.S. president left a lot to be desired.


Mandela celebrations force critical look at post-Apartheid S. Africa

By Brian E. Muhammad -Staff Writer-

The world recently celebrated the 100th birth anniversary of the late South African leader and iconic figure Nelson (Madiba) Mandela. Madiba born July 18, 1918, became a global symbol for human rights and freedom in the fight for the liberation of the land and Africans from repressive White minority rulers and their system of apartheid.


Black coffee shops pulling in the green

By Bryan Crawford -Contributing Writer-

The situation involving Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, two Black men arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks for behaving like any other coffee shop patron would, outraged many in the Black community already fed up with the racial bias presently faced in daily life.


Legacy Men’s Boutique offers quality and service

By Tariqah Shakir- Muhammad -The Final Call-

CHICAGO— Not far from the Harold Washington Cultural Center on 44th and King Drive is an avenue of flourishing Black-owned business including restaurants, bakeries and an art gallery.


Black-owned mobile company making moves

By Tariqah Shakir- Muhammad -The Final Call-

In collaboration with Daymond Garfield John, founder of the apparel company FUBU, entrepreneur and businessman Jonathan Nazeer recently launched the company’s mobile service.


Young Black professionals, HBCU students join movement for homeownership, financial education

By Hazel Trice Edney

The housing crisis that caused more than nine million people to suffer foreclosure and even homelessness due to the economic slump across the U. S. 10 years ago, has now fully recovered for everyone—except people of color—especially Black Americans.


Major toy retailer goes out of business

By AP

NEW YORK (AP)—The demise of Toys R Us will have a ripple effect on everything from toy makers to consumers to landlords.


Aretha Franklin: Our Queen And Our Giant In The Black Struggle

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

It is with great pain and sorrow that we reflect on and mourn the loss of this magnificent woman of extreme value. Her value is not only the beautiful gift of her voice, but also the sweetness of her soul, and the deep sensitivity that was her gift, to feel the hurt and pain throughout the world. » CONTINUE

Our Sentence In America Is Up: God Has Come For The Black Man And Woman

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

We have served the “400 year” sentence—in a strange land, among a strange people who have afflicted us every day of those 400 years up until this very moment. So God has fulfilled His promise: He came. » CONTINUE

What's Troubling America?

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

In America, we have millions today who are homeless. We have many more millions who are sick, imprisoned, impoverished and weak, and it appears as though the conservative element of the country is moving away from care for the poor, the weak, the helpless, and the children and catering to the desires of those that have. But it is the poor and the weak who built the country. » CONTINUE

Let My People Go

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

“Let my people go”: What lessons can be extracted from those words? Didn’t you know that those few little words contain lessons? And did you know that in the lessons there are principles? And didn’t you know that undergirding those principles there are laws? So hidden in this command are consequences for rejecting, and hidden in this command is blessing if it is obeyed. » CONTINUE

V103 Chicago Speaks Host Darryl Dennard Interviews The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

We’re going to touch on a lot of stuff this morning, but I really want to focus on the inspiration as you just talked about in terms of these influences that you had. But at the same time, give the audience just the wide expanse of musical genres that exist on this album. Because it is, if I’m not mistaken: a seven-CD set, along with a book? » CONTINUE

Every Nation Has A Fixed And Limited Term

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

America, in her decline, is not as attractive as she once was; she is not as wealthy as she once was. But, like most beautiful people that become ugly: They find a way to get a "facelift," or something to make them look more attractive again. -and this is what the "Federal Reserve Bailout of America" was. » CONTINUE

The Majesty of Master Fard Muhammad's Love

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

The greatest demonstration of Allah’s (God’s) love is that He would knock on the door of your mind and offer you an invitation to receive Him. His Word is Him. His Word, the Word of the Book, has the power to transform human life. It has the power to give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. » CONTINUE

Our Youth: The Most Powerful Generation We've Produced Since Slavery

By the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

They have no fear and they don't have any respect for the law because the law has no respect for itself. They don't have any respect for church... I want you to listen to me because
I am going to speak for them. » CONTINUE

The Time is Now To Serve Your Own

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

We must change the thinking, for the scripture teaches “As a man thinketh, so is he.” This is telling you The Power of Thought. Thought shapes and reshapes matter, so the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was not just interested in getting you to eat properly, he wanted to change the way we think. In changing the way we think, he will then change the way we act. » CONTINUE

The Sweetness Of The Life And The Gift Of Louis Farrakhan, Jr.

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

One of the most beautiful things about the religion of Islam is that it offers to all who accept it security, it gives them peace and contentment of mind. Louis, Jr., brought us all together today. I wanted to personally thank all of you for the kind of love that you showed to Louis, Jr., his family, Mother Khadijah Farrakhan and me. » CONTINUE