Farrakhan: 'Free yourselves, and fight for justice for the poor!'

By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Asst. Editor- | Last updated: Aug 9, 2012 - 12:02:51 PM

Minister Farrakhan addresses the capacity crowd at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan July 27. Photos: Leandre X

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (FinalCall.com) - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was presented with the Key to the City of Benton Harbor following his message at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church July 27.

In his subject: “Nazareth! Can Any Good Come From There?” the Minister said despite being freed from chattel slavery, the people are not truly free. He also said true advocates of the poor are rare.

Even after the so-called Emancipation Proclamation, we still have problems, said the Minister, reminding them that Black people were direct descendants of The Creator. He referred to it as “so-called” because Black people are still not completely free.

“If we were really free—there would be no need for me to be here tonight, because free men and women don’t beg others to do for them, what they can do for themselves,” Minister Farrakhan told the capacity crowd.

Student Minister Marcus Muhammad, who is also a Benton Harbor City Commissioner reads the proclamation and presents the Key to the City of Benton Harbor to the Minister.

He reminded the audience that the wealth of America was built on the backs of Black people and said how important it was for political, spiritual and community leaders to know and understand Jesus. His life was an example of how leaders must be courageous enough to speak truth to power.

“To know Jesus is to know God. To know Jesus is to know yourself. To know Jesus is to become a partner with him in the remaking of the heavens and the earth because he said ‘Behold, I make all things new, there will be a new heaven, and a new earth and the former things will pass away.’”

Black people should not be like Lazarus, begging for the crumbs that come from the tables of the wealthy and powerful. Instead, they should have the courage to stand strong and speak truth to power in service of the poor and voiceless.

God intends to take the powerless, the despised, and rejected and make a new nation that would be obedient to Him, the One True God. He intends to deliver His people, and give them the land to rule.

Barack Obama’s becoming president has now made it so that young Black children will no longer see themselves limited to the roles of athletes or entertainers.

“We can rule in the land where we once were sold as slaves. Thank you Barack Obama. However, he is a Black man elected to handle the affairs of White people. This is their government, we live in it, but we are deprived in it of freedom, of justice, of equity. We helped build the country. The country was built on the backs of our fathers,” said Minister Farrakhan. “The Western world—all of it—was built on our backs, and today, we have a problem that nobody seems to know how to solve.”

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

The Minister said that problem is: What to do with Black people in America?

“We are vexing our former slave masters and their children because they don’t have anything else for us to do,” the Minister noted that technology has replaced manual labor and even in the military, the government of the United States uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles commonly referred to as drones to go into foreign countries to kill those whom the government dislikes.

“They’re working now to create a reason for war with Iran, like they created a reason for war with Iraq and Afghanistan,” said the Minister, and because there are no jobs, many Black men are either on the way to join the armed forces, or, on their way to prison. Moves are being made to expand America’s military footprint across the globe in order to gain access to valuable resources.

“Is this disturbing you?” he asked. “I don’t mean to disturb you except to awaken you because we are asleep in a dangerous time. The government of the United States is taking liberties away from the American people and making you so afraid that you give up your liberty in the name of security.”

The Holy Qur’an and the Bible are not ancient histories, they are prophetic of the current times.

“In these books is a plan of salvation for those who feel rejected and despised, that’s why Jesus is called a redeemer,” said Minister Farrakhan. “Who is going to pay the price for our redemption?”

Crowd at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church.

Satan is always waiting to tempt public officials like politicians as well as community leaders, to corrupt those who would work to represent the poor and free the people from the bondage of their oppressors.

Those who are doctors, psychologists, and those with education should not be arrogant nor should they rest on their laurels, especially if they are unable to solve the problems and illnesses within the society, the Minister said.

“Your education is a box prepared for you and you are not allowed to think outside of that box. And no matter how high you go up in that box, there’s always somebody at the ceiling to say ‘that’s it, you aren’t going any further’ because once you reach the ceiling, you’ve reached the people that control the box,” he said.

Benton Harbor

Benton Harbor is located between Chicago and Detroit and home to the Whirlpool Corporation. Although Benton Harbor is a port city along Lake Michigan, the median household income has gone down for its residents since the 2000 U.S. Census. According to 2010 U.S. Census figures, Benton Harbor has a total population of a little over 10,000 with 89 percent of them Black and a median household income of around $17,300. By contrast, nearby St. Joseph Township has a White population of 88 percent with a median household income of nearly $50,000, up from $37,000 at the time of the last census.

The Minister last spoke in Benton Harbor at Lake Michigan College, June 5, 2009 in defense of local NAACP President, Reverend Edward Pinkney, who at the time was under house arrest related to charges that many in the community believe were in retaliation for his outspoken activism. Rev. Pinkney was present and among those showing support for the Minister. He said he was going to do everything in his power to make Minister Farrakhan’s words lead to action in Benton Harbor in their efforts to continue to resist disenfranchisement.

The authority of Benton Harbor’s elected officials has been usurped by the insertion of an Emergency Financial Manager installed by the Governor. City officials have resisted the takeover, and fought for the repeal of the law called Public Act 4. After numerous protests, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled August 3 that a referendum repealing the state’s emergency manager could proceed. This is a victory for the people of Benton Harbor and those whom they voted into office.

Student Minister Marcus Muhammad, who leads the Nation of Islam’s Benton Harbor study group, and is a city commissioner, said the Minister’s appearance was very much needed.

“It was a watershed moment, not only for the city of Benton Harbor, but for the entire state of Michigan which is suffering from economic upheaval, political corruption and disaster, as well as drought where they are asking the federal government to intervene and to declare a state of emergency because of the crops,” Mr. Muhammad told The Final Call.

Benton Harbor ranks last in terms of Michigan unemployment. Twenty years ago, Money magazine declared it the worst place to live in America. Things have gotten worse since then, Mr. Muhammad added.

“The Honorable Louis Farrakhan’s message is the water that is needed to make life spring up in Benton Harbor,” said Mr. Muhammad. “Hopefully we can take the divine guidance that he has given us and march forward behind his leadership.”

(CCW from Top Left) The crowd responds to the Minister’s message. | Minister Farrakhan acknowledges a 102 -year old community matriarch. | Crowd listens as the Minister addresses issues facing Benton Harbor. | Members of the MGT & GCC | Rev. Edward Pinkney, NAACP | Audience takes in Minister Farrakhan’s message.

Eighteen-year-old NAACP Teen Queen Candace Krause just graduated from Benton Harbor high school and is on her way to Texas Southern University in the fall majoring in business, and hoping to practice corporate law in the future. It was her first time hearing Minister Farrakhan speak.

“I’d heard about him, and I felt that he was a strong speaker,” said Ms. Krause. “He gave me a better foundation and basically laid it out, straight to the point. I enjoyed it and learned a lot. He broke it down and connected the pieces that I have been trying to put together.

“Minister Farrakhan is a blessing to this city. We need a leader like him to put things in perspective. I appreciate him. He is a man of God,” Imam Rahim Abdullah told The Final Call. “And his representative here, Marcus Muhammad is a very good brother and very determined to propagate the religion of Al-Islam under the leadership of Minister Louis Farrakhan.”

“I was challenged and encouraged—the challenge for us as people of color to be accountable, responsible and to do some things for ourselves,” said Pilgrim Rest’s pastor Emery M. Varrie.

During his message, the Minister said Rev. Varrie was “a courageous, beautiful, bold, and wise brother.”

Pastor Latrelle Holmes, of Greater Galilee Baptist Church in nearby Flint traveled to hear the Minister’s words. He said the Minister’s words were timely and relevant because Flint, like Benton Harbor is under this same “ridiculous dictatorship” of an emergency financial manager.

“We must speak truth in such a way that inspires the people to call for justice, and that is what we have done from day one in Flint as we call for justice and we’ll continue to do so, and we want him to come to Flint, and I will host him at my church,” said Pastor Holmes. “To hear such a powerful and prophetic voice coming from God’s ordained man was very moving,” he added.

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