Our observance of Saviours� Day, our principal Holiday, in Los Angeles this year has a special significance to me. The "City of Angeles" is my spiritual birthplace. I learned, as time passed and events occurred, that of all the people present at and/or involved in my introduction to The Nation of Islam, I was unanimously singled out as the one person least likely to ever even lean toward The Nation of Islam, let alone become a functioning member. My entrance into the ranks even surprised the Brother who introduced me to the Nation. I think I even made a couple of snide remarks about his name� "Malcolm X". Much later, when I went to teach a lecture at our Mosque in New York, some of the Believers were telling me that they had heard so much about me. I questioned this, because I could not think of any accomplishments of mine which would reach their ears three thousand miles away. They related to me how Brother Malcolm, on his first visit to the West Coast, came back and announced, from the rostrum, "Brothers and Sisters, I met a N----- in California; if he ever comes into The Nation, I�m packing my bags, because I will know it is time to go home!"

Exactly a week after we met, I attended the lecture in the little building being rented for that purpose, and I anxiously accepted the Word. I wrote my letter the same day, and since I was a mail clerk for the county, I mailed it on my first trip to the post office the next morning. I was able to do this with all my correspondence, so that the following Sunday I was able to present the proper documents from National Headquarters and become a registered Muslim.

I was blessed with another advantage. The main branch of the LA Public Library was directly across the street from the office in which I worked. I eagerly limited my diet to one meal a day, as prescribed, and spent my lunch period each day selecting and checking out books, which I carried home and studied into the wee hours of each night and practically every hour of my weekends�until 2:00 PM on Sundays.

Needless to say, I was the Big "N" to which Malcolm had referred. What he did not know is that, as challenging and far-fetched as my questions (and, or, challenges) were, they were springing from a genuine interest and an eagerness to learn. We had a question period at the end of each lecture in those days, I soon became known by the list of questions I always brought with me. One Sunday, a parishioner stood up and verbally objected to my tendency to ask questions at every meeting. The Minister, Brother Henry Majied, had everyone stand for the closing prayer, then gave all who wished to leave permission to do so, "Because," he explained, "I am going to answer this Brothers questions if it takes all night."

The knockout punch came when, according to members of the New York Mosque, one Sunday, Malcolm having just returned from a trip to the West Coast, announced, Brothers and Sisters, you remember that N----- I told you about in California? He�s not only in the Mosque�He is teaching!