Nipsey Hussle and the Nation of Islam

Nipsey Hussle: a name which circulated social media for roughly a week and then disappeared. Nipsey’s death in Los Angeles, California spurred this short “viral” period. For those who don’t know much about Nipsey, he was born and raised in Los Angeles (LA) in rough conditions. Despite this, he became a famous rapper, artist, and songwriter and used his wealth to become an activist in his local community. Despite these efforts, Nipsey was shot and killed outside his store, Marathon clothing, in South LA. While the death of Nipsey Hussle prompted a short-lived thread across social media, his murder also incited deep and lasting conversations within the black community – especially within the Nation of Islam.

In an interview with Rolling Out, a member of the Nation of Islam spoke on Nipsey’s death and its significance within the black community. Abdul Muhammad, the interviewee, did not speak of income disparity, institutional racism, and conditions which led to Nipsey’s shooting. Rather, Muhammad focused on the importance of black brothers uniting despite their different upbringings and their different neighborhoods; he insisted that “Black-on-Black crime must end.” He implores blacks in America to unite because “if we don’t wake up, we will eat ourselves… We’re giving the enemy permission to kill us” (Abdul Muhammed Interview, 2019).

Muhammad’s comments regarding the black community in America align with Nation of Islam (NOI) values which date back to its roots in the early 20^th century. NOI recognizes and asserts that African Americans have knowledge and strength given to them by God. Even the Five Percent Nation (which diverged from NOI in 1964) believed that all black men shared collective divinity. In contrast, the white man served the devil and stood as the enemy of black men. Malcom X exhibits this belief in his Autobiography addressing his first encounter with NOI in prison. His brother, Philbert, introduced him to this idea during a visit. After understanding and accepting Philbert’s words, Malcom X writes, “human history’s greatest crime was the traffic in black flesh when the devil white man went into Africa and murdered and kidnapped to bring to the West in chains, in slave ships, millions of black men, women, and children, who were worked and beaten and tortured as slaves” (Malcom X, pg. 177).

The NOI seeks to connect and unite black men in America to fulfill their theology of knowledge/divinity. Nipsey Hussle’s death at the beginning of April began a conversation among the NOI community to look to their roots and unite as brothers. Because his death serves a catalyst for this conversation, I wonder what it will do to NOI and how Nipsey Hussle will influence its future.

Refrences:

Blankstein, Andrew and Johnson, Alex. Rapper Nipsey Hussle Killed in Shooting Outside his L.A. Store. NBC News, April 1, 2019. Web. Accessed from: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/man-killed-two-others-injured-outside-rapper-nipsey-hussle-s-n989371

Shaw, A.R. Nation of Islam Member Blasts Black-on-Black crime after Nipsey Hussle’s Death. Rolling Out, April 1, 2019. Interview with Abdul Muhammad. Accessed from: https://rollingout.com/2019/04/01/nation-of-islam-member-blasts-black-on-black-crime-after-nipsey-hussles-death/

X, Malcom. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Grove Press, 1965. Print.

Christian Opposition to Captain Marvel’s Feminist Theme

Last Friday, March 8^th, Marvel released its latest superhero movie: Captain Marvel. The movie sought to make Carol Danvers, the main character, an iconic feminist role model for young girls and women everywhere. However, there has been backlash against this feminist agenda among the Christian community. In his article Behold Your Queen, The Real Conflict in Captain Marvel, Greg Morse cites the Danvers statement and “traditional” American family values to “lament Disney’s new queen.”

Morse uses the Danvers statement to assert that the idea of “sameness between the sexes” is simply a myth. Using the idea of the “traditional” American family, he then moves on to “mourn” when men sought to “protect and cherish [our] women.” He goes on further to note that Captain Marvel advocates for daughters and mothers to shed blood on the battlefield; however, he claims that through excluding women on the battlefield, men are affirming, respecting, and honoring their women. This sentiment reflects the idea of the “breadwinning” husband and upholds the family values that were used during the mid-20^th century to oppose the feminist movement.

In fact, during this time, many conservative Evangelical women used their roles as mothers and wives to support or lead the fight against feminism. Phyllis Schaffly was a prominent figure during this time who led the STOP ERA (Stop Taking Our Privileges) movement. This movement sought to stop the ERA ratification to the US constitution which proclaimed, “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” (Dowland, pg. 143). She led this movement through using her stance as a submissive woman, as a wife, and as a mother to garner support. She promoted her claim to “stop ERA” through asserting that doing so would protect her rights to be a wife and to be a mother.

The sentiment of the STOP ERA movement and the opposition to feminism in the mid-20^th century echoes heavily throughout Morse’s article. Morse uses his religion and his union with Christ to uphold this sentiment and to oppose the message that Marvel sends through Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel). He goes on to compare men, husbands, and fathers to Christ, “the good shepherd who laid his life down for his people,” and, moreover, through his suffering “saw to the welfare of his mother”.

Therefore, the anti-Captain Marvel sentiment stems from family values that have been heavily rooted in Christian culture which began to appear decades before the movie’s release. Carol Danvers’ rise to “superhero” greatly contrasts the deep-seated feminist opposition conservative Christians have held: the inherent difference between men and women as asserted in the Danvers statement and the idea of “traditional” family values. Many rejoiced in the movie’s strong feminist message and others, like Morse, grieved the conservative Christian ideals which opposed – and continue to oppose – feminism.

Citations:

• Dowland, S. (2015). Feminism. In Family Values and the Rise of the Christian Right (pp. 129 – 153). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Morse, G. (March 11, 2019). Behold Your Queen: The Real Conflict in Captain Marvel. Retrieved from: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/behold-your-queen