“I am self, self is the true reality, son of man, God,” an enlightening concept from the thought-leader, community builder and founder of The Five Percent Nation (Nation Of Gods and Earths) Clarence X. Clarence X (also known as Clarence 13X and Father Allah) is accredited for awakening the minds of many black youth from the inner cities of Harlem and Brooklyn in the mid 1960s. He was extremely effective in reaching the poor, delinquent, hard core, drug addicted, drop outs, and incorrigible black youth that society had long given up on. Using the Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabets, Father Allah taught them the meaning of their names, age (degree), why life was so hard and cold for the Blackman and other significant facts of life. Father Allah’s message was that black men are Gods (Fathers of civilization) and black women are Earths (Mothers of civilization/reflecting life-giving force of the Earth). He also taught that the black community should be permeate with self-sustainability, dignity, and education through “knowledge of self.” His lessons and value system are not apart of a religion but rather a “way of life” embodied in everyday living. Father Allah’s message has played a significant role in uplifing black communities, in addition to its influence on the hip-hop culture and music which is universal.
Born Clarence Edward Smith on February 22, 1928 in Danville, Virginia, to Louis and Mary Smith, he was the fifth child among seven siblings. As a baby his mother nicknamed him ‘Put’ and this is what he was called throughout his early childhood years.
He grew up in the racially segregated south where Jim Crow laws were prevalent. As a youth, he witnessed incidents of racism, including a fight between his father and a white man that was sparked by racial tensions. These experiences characterized his childhood.
In 1940, Clarence’s mother moved to New York seeking employment. She rented an apartment in Harlem. In 1946, Clarence came to join his mother and older brothers. Once in Harlem, his nickname, ‘Put’ was mistaken for ‘Puddin’ and from that day forward his name became Puddin.
In 1950, Clarence joined the Army and went to fight in the Korean War. During his military service, he became skilled in karate.
By 1961, he returned to the U.S. and joined The Nation Of Islam (NOI) under the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammed. He registered at Mosque No, 7. where Minister Malcolm X was the leader at the time. He changed his name to Clarence 13X in accordance with NOI practice.
He quickly progressed within the organization and was promoted to lieutenant of the Fruit of Islam (FOI). His responsibilities included teaching martial arts and serving on the security team. He was also recognized as a skilled speaker and reached the rank of “student minister.”
In 1963, when Clarence was addressing the student minister class concerning what makes rain, hail, snow, and earthquakes, he was expressing his self-styled ideology, that “all that above is caused by the son man.” When the head of the FOI, Captain Joseph, walked into the room and overheard what Clarence was teaching, he then stopped the meeting. After dismissing the men, he then spoke with Clarence. The Captain told him that he could not verbalize those teachings in the mosque.
During this time, there was turmoil within the Nation of Islam due to tensions between the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Minister Malcolm X. Malcolm X had been given a suspension from the temple. Clarence X had grown disenchanted with the NOI and had eventually removed himself from the organization, although the reason for his departure was not known.
With the lessons (that had so much to do with him developing into a fiery orator), he went back to the streets of Harlem to do God’s work. He amended his name from Clarence 13X to Allah and began to spread the message of, “I am self, self is the true reality, son of man, God” to the masses of youth who had not yet received “knowledge of self” about their people and history.
His first students (he referred to as his First Nine Born) were Kareem “Black Messiah,” Nahiim “Bismii Allah,” Uhuru, Kihiem, Al-Jabbar “Prince Allah,” Al Jamel, Bilal “Jihad aka ABG 7,” Akbar, and Al Salaam. They referred to Allah as ‘Father’ because many of them were the product of broken homes and he was their Father.
His First Born became very powerful and dynamic young men that brought hundreds of Black youth into the “knowledge of self.” They became known as Allah’s Five Percent Nation of Gods & Earths, upholding the notion that “ten percent of the world knows the truth about life and they keep eighty-five percent of people in ignorance, so it’s up to the remaining five percent to enlighten the rest.”
In December of 1964, the first assassination attempt was made on Allah’s life by a man named Carlos. He shot him with a high-powered rifle in a basement on 127th Street. Although the attack left him hospitalized, the shooting was not fatal.
On May 31, 1965, Allah was speaking at a rally in front of the Hotel Theresa, when two police officers attempted to break up the rally. As a result, a disturbance was brought about. Allah along with several other men were arrested for unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct. At the arraignment in criminal court before Judge Francis X O’Brien, he told the judge that he was wrong for accusing the righteous people and that the city would blow up. When offered a lawyer, he told the judge that he was Allah and that he would represent himself. The judge then ordered that he be taken and held in custody on a $9,500 bond. That September, another judge ordered him to be placed in the custody of the Psychiatric Unit at Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric treatment. This was the result of him proclaiming himself to be God (Allah). While at Bellevue he continued to teach the youth and authorities transferred him to Mattawan as a means of separating him from his growing nation.
In 1967, The Five Percent Nation held their first Universal Parliament in Mount Morris Park New York City, to welcome Allah’s return home. Thousands of Five Percenters turned out for the celebration. Allah spoke to them and there was a thunderous response that reciprocated his greeting of Peace! Allah thanked them for being strong and continuing to grow the nation inspite of his physical absence. The growth was evident due to the many youth seen in attendance.
From 1967 to 1969, Allah had risen to become a very powerful figure within New York City. His popularity had reached international status. Canadian television aired a story on him. A sociologist from Sweden interviewed him. In addition, he had plans to meet with Chinese representatives on June 20, 1969.
Allah began to prepare his Five Percenters for life on their own without him. He spoke with all of them in the Street Academy and one by one told them what their qualities were and left each of them responsible for a function for the Nation.
On June 13, 1969, Allah was killed by unknown attackers in Harlem. Three days later, his memorial was conducted at Harlem’s Unity Funeral Home where approximately 500 Five Percenters, dozens of activists, NYC Mayor John Lindsay, and some of his aides attended. His body was cremated and the ashes were strewn in Mt. Morris Park.
After Allah’s departure, there was a down period for the next couple years. However, The Nation Of Gods and Earths soon recovered. In 1971, they established the first annual Science and Educational Show and Prove in Harlem, which is conducted during the second weekend of June in order to commemorate the anniversary of Allah’s assassination.
Those he educated, continued the work and vision he had for them to do. The First Nine Born group that Allah established during October 1964, has gone on to positively influence various aspects of Black culture and society over the past few decades. Allah’s message and legacy continues to live.
Tenets Taught By Clarence X (Father Allah):
- The Supreme Mathematics are the ten principles which correspond to the nine basic units and the zero in our number system.
- The Supreme Alphabets are principles that correspond to the twenty six letters that Allah and Justice created together. He taught the youth how to break down and form profound relationships between significant experiences within life.
- Acutal Facts, is a list of approximate measurements relating to specific geological and scientific actualities
- Solar Facts, is a list of approximate measurements of planetary distances relative from the sun.
- Allah taught his Nation that they were of the Highest even though they would be considered by some to be the lowest in the wilderness of North America.
- Allah taught all of his Nation that the way for the black nation to regain its position of greatness in the world again was to take care of and teach the babies.
- Allah taught that the earth is the Blackwoman’s twin in nature. Therefore, the women of the Five Percent Nation are called Earths. The Black woman is symbolic to the earth in many ways. The earth is the only planet in our solar system that is capable of reproducing life. The moon, the earth’s counterpart, reflects the light of the sun in much the same way that the woman reflects the teachings of her man.
- Allah taught that they should not be anti-white nor pro-black, but that they should be anti-devilish and pro-righteous, and that they should fear nothing in this world. In addition, if they were one with Allah, there should be no reason to fear anything in this world.
- Allah told his Nation that they did not need guns unless they had the legal paper for them, that their tongue was their sword, and that they could take more heads with the words of Allah than an Army could with Guns. “Moreover, he who must live by the gun shall surely die by the gun.”
- Allah did not teach the Nation ‘Gods & Earths’ to fight fire with a tulip, but he taught them not to try to put out a fire with gasoline. The First Born was each required to teach 10 children or people younger than they were and they shall be their fruit.
- Like farmers, they would be held responsible for the development of their crops and that they should do all within their power to keep the snakes out of their gardens. They should watch and see what kind of things tried to infect or poison their fruits and then weed them out. This would ensure them of a righteous harvest.
- Allah taught his nation that some of them or their fruit may have to die to show the rest that everything is real, and that they should hold fast and pray to Allah that is within, and that each of them would be rewarded according to his individual works.
- Allah said that the future of all the human families of the planet and mankind in general depends on the success of Allah’s Nation of the Five Percent.
Quotes:
“I am self, self is the true reality, son of man, God.”
“Ten percent of the world knows the truth about life and they keep eighty-five percent of people in ignorance, so it’s up to the remaining five percent to enlighten the rest.”
“As long as you continue teaching and come together, how can I die.”
“Don’t worship me like how they do Jesus.”
“The babies are the greatest.”
“Moreover, he who must live by the gun shall surely die by the gun.”
‘After I’m gone when I’m not here anymore if you want to see me continue teaching and come together.’”
“You are all pace setters of the world, you are Guardian Angels. Keep teaching and you will take over the world.”
“Never forget who you are son because once you know who you are no one can take that from you. Know your own self. Study your personal history and whatever else is relevant.”
“All the above is cause by… man.” -Referring to the lesson which dealt with what makes rain, hail, snow and earthquakes?
Sources:
fivepercenterlessons.wordpress.com/clarence-13x/
fivepercentmedia.com/allah-assassination-51-years/
http://www.ancientorderoffreeasiatics.com/AllahtheFather.html
humanities.wustl.edu/news/enter-five-percent-how-wu-tang-clan%E2%80%99s-debut-album-maps-complex-doctrine-five-percent-nation
genius.com/Nation-of-gods-and-earths-what-we-teach-what-we-will-achieve-annotated
quizlet.com/101384941/the-supreme-wisdom-lesson-no-21-16-flash-cards/
killingthebuddha.com/mag/the-man-i-call-allah/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Clarence-13X
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_13X
fivepercenterlessons.wordpress.com/solar-facts/
fivepercenterlessons.wordpress.com/mathematics/
fivepercenterlessons.wordpress.com/alphabet/
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Recreate Model: John E. Robinson
Photographer & Editor of Recreated Photo: Jasmine Mallory
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