The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (411 page)

Black Jews
.

Members of cults that emerged in Harlem, New York City, shortly after the First World War. Prophet F. S. Cherry, one of the first leaders of the Black Jews, maintained that his followers were the true Israelites of the Bible, and that Jesus was black. Another important early Black Jewish figure was Arnold Ford from Barbados. Though grouped into a number of different sects, all Black Jews claim that they are descendants of Ethiopian Hebrews (cf.
FALASHAS
) who were deprived of their religion, sacred language (Hebrew), and names, during the era of slavery.

 
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Black Mass
.

Usually a blasphemous caricature of the
mass
, with an inversion of symbols and a worship of
Satan
, not God. But the term is also used colloquially for the requiem mass for the dead when black vestments are used.

 
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Black Muslims
.

Members of an African American nationalist religious movement. It was founded in Detroit in the 1930s by Wallace D. Fard (sometimes Ford, later known as Wali Farad). He was known as Prophet Fard, the Great
Mahdi
, and the Saviour. The movement was called originally The Lost-Found Nation of Islam, subsequently The World Community of Islam in the West. Fard hailed black (as they were then called) people as the founders of civilization, and predicted the destruction of Caucasians and Christianity and the establishment of a Black Nation after the final judgement of the white race.
Elijah
Muhammad took over the movement on Fard's disappearance in 1934, assuming the titles ‘Minister of Islam’ and ‘Prophet’.
Malcolm
X became Elijah Muhammad's chief aide in 1963 before breaking away to found the Muslim Mosque, Inc., and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He was assassinated in Feb. 1965.
When Elijah Muhammad died in 1975, his son, Warith Deen (Wallace D.) succeeded and endeavoured to bring the movement closer to mainstream Islam throughout the world. A splinter group, led by Louis Farrakhan (see
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
), took the name Nation(s) of Islam. This continued the emphasis on separation from white people, and included a theme of
anti-semitism
.

 
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Black Pagoda
(Kon
rak temple)
:

see
S
RYA
.

 
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Black shamanism
(contest against malevolent spirits)
:

see
SHAMANS
.

 
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