In the historical documentary, "The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords," Evelyn Cunningham makes the following observation. "The Black press today seems to react only, react to an issue or a situation or react to something that’s in the white press. We very rarely in our Black press today initiate, dig up stories of our own. And I think we do need a Black press today, very, very much so. We have no voice that tells us about our own lives."

Throughout the 20th century this voice has been carried with uncompromising distinction by Marcus Garvey’s Negro World and The Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s Muhammad Speaks. This legacy has continued for the past 20 years in The Final Call newspaper as it continues to bridge the gap in providing a voice to a voiceless people.

Terry Johnson, an activist and newspaper publisher, echo’s these sentiments. "I was first introduced to the Nation of Islam through the legendary Muhammad Speaks newspaper," he said. "It’s this legacy that has been picked up by The Final Call. There is no doubt the paper is responsible for helping the Black community gain a world perspective. To see our struggle as one with oppressed humanity."

Ron Daniels, a veteran writer and community advocate observed that The Final Call is one of the few places Black people can go to gather international news and analysis about Black people. "We don’t have a hard hitting news organ other than The Final Call," he said. "In many ways the paper is the conscious of the community and really it is the only national paper we have and it’s not shy." Mr. Daniels went on to say that he views The Final Call as three-dimensional. "The paper is cultural, it politically raises the conscience of its readers and, lastly, its analysis is hard hitting. It’s a treasure and performs an invaluable service to the community," he added.

"When I want to find objective news about the African continent or international news, I turn to The Final Call," said Linda Richardson, president of the Pennsylvania Black United Fund. "It gives a perspective of international news as it relates to the Diaspora. It also is a educational vehicle for non-Muslims to learn about Islam."

Historically, the Black press had freedom to report as it saw fit because of a lack of dependency on big advertisers and corporations. It depended on circulation. To a great extent this ended with the Civil Rights Movement.

In "Soldiers Without Swords," Frank Bolden reports, "You can only criticize white America so far. If you criticize them the way they did in the old days, you wouldn’t get the advertising. General Motors or a downtown department store is not going to let you blast white America on that front page and then give you a full-page ad on page four and five."

It’s the absence of this type of interference and the distribution by the Fruit of Islam that has allowed The Final Call its journalistic freedom.

The narrator in "Soldiers" blares: "In the 1960s, Black newspaper circulation declined and the paper’s power and influence began to wane. And even as the paper’s numbers have diminished and their voices muted, the need for an independent advocacy press remains."

Long time political prisoner and activist Safia Bakhari in her assessment of The Final Call has found this advocacy. She reports, "It’s the most consistent Black paper in the country. I equate it to the old Black Panther newspaper in the way it gets out alternative news. That’s the role The Final Call plays today. It has become an institution. You can trust the information it provides. It transcends its religious base. The paper is one the Black community can call its own."

World-renown poet and educator Sonia Sanchez related much the same sentiments. She said that one doesn’t realize how important the paper is until one travels abroad. "The first thing that I am asked is if I have a copy of the paper. You don’t realize how important something is until you see it through the eyes of some one else," she said.

"For me, the role The Final Call plays is to constantly alert the community about government policy and what’s going on. It also exhorts Black people to love each other. It’s the only Black newspaper that gives the facts."