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The Voodoo Cult Among Negro Migrants in Detroit

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The Voodoo Cult Among Negro Migrants in Detroit THE VOODOO CULT AMONG NEGRO MIGRANTS IN DETROIT ERDMANN DOANE BEYNON ABSTRACT The "Nation of Islam," usually knownas the "Voodoo Cult," belongsto a chain of movementsarising out of the growingdisillusionment and race consciousnessof recent Negro migrantsto northernindustrial cities. The attentionof the generalpublic has been directedto sensationalepisodes in the historyof this cult, such as the occurrence of human sacrifice,but the reorientationof the personalityof its membershas been ignored. The membersof the cult have been isolated fromthe social organizationof the communityin which they lived, but they have maintainedtheir functional rela- tionshipin the metropolitaneconomy from which they derive their means of livelihood and in whichthey have been able to make moresatisfactory adjustments. As a result of the teachingof thiscult, they have gained a new conceptionof themselvesand regard themselvesas superior,rather than inferior,to otherpeople. The Negrosect known to its membersas the "Nationof Islam" or the "Muslims,"'but to thepolice as the Voodoo Cult,2has sig- nificancefor social scienceresearch partly because of its synthesis ofheterogeneous cultural elements and partlybecause of its unique expressionof race consciousness. If themovement be viewedas the life-cycleof a cult,however, its variousphases tend to show an orderlyprogression through which the attitudes of its devoteeswere moldedto a commonpattern. There developed among them a way of livingwhich isolated them to a certainextent from all persons not membersof theircult, even thoughthey themselves remained scatteredamong an urbanpopulation of theirown race and color. In theirtrade relations the membersof this cult have continued to live,like other Negroes, within the ecological organization of the Negrocommunity of Detroit.Their principal occupational adjust- menthas beenfactory labor, and thusthe cult members have main- taineda functionalrelationship with the metropolitan economy out- side of the Negro community.At the same time,however, they ISpelling: "Moslem"; pronounced: "Muslim." This is one of the changed pro- nunciationsby whichinitiates recognize each other. The Moorish-Americansalso are "Moslems," but pronouncethe wordas spelled. 2 No effortis made in thispaper to trace relationshipbetween this cult and Voodoo- ism in Haiti and other West Indian islands. The cult received the name "Voodoo" solely because of cases of human sacrifice. 894 This content downloaded from 134.184.26.108 on Tue, 27 Oct 2015 10:03:13 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions VOODOO CULT AMONG NEGRO MIGRANTS 895 have severedcontacts with the social organizationof the community in which they live, so that they have gained isolation almost as effectivelyas did the membersof agriculturalreligious communities who migratedto new homes. THE BEGINNING OF THE MOVEMENT The prophet and founderof the cult made his firstappearance among the Negroes of Detroit as a peddler. Like other Arab and Syrian peddlers,he went fromhouse to house carryinghis wares. He came firstto our houses sellingraincoats, and thenafterwards silks. In thisway he could get into the people's houses,for every woman was eager to see thenice thingsthe peddlars had forsale. He toldus thatthe silks he carried were the same kind that our people used in theirhome countryand that he had come fromthere. So we all asked him to tell us about our own country. If we asked himto eat withus, he wouldeat whateverwe had on the table,but afterthe meal he began to talk: "Now don't eat thisfood. It is poisonfor you. The people in yourown countrydo not eat it. Since theyeat the rightkind of food they have the best health all the time. If you would live just like the people in yourhome country,you would neverbe sick any more." So we all wantedhim to tell us moreabout ourselvesand about our home countryand about how we couldbe freefrom rheumatism, aches and pains.3 At the stranger'ssuggestion a group of people was invited to one of the houses visitedby him,so that on a particularevening they all might hear the story in which all alike were so much interested. Accustomedas these people were to the cottage prayermeetings of the Negro Methodistand Baptist churchesthey foundno difficulty in holdinginformal meetings in theirhomes. The formerpeddler now assumed the role of prophet. During the early period of his ministryhe used the Bible as his textbook, since it was the only religiousbook with which the majorityof his hearerswere familiar.With growingprestige over a constantlyin- creasinggroup, the prophet became bolder in his denunciationof the Caucasians and began to attack the teachings of the Bible in such a way as to shock his hearersand bringthem to an emotional crisis. BrotherChallar Sharriefftold of the crisisthrough which he himselfpassed afterhearing the prophet's message: 3 Sister Denke Majied, formerly,Mrs. Lawrence Adams. This content downloaded from 134.184.26.108 on Tue, 27 Oct 2015 10:03:13 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 896 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY The veryfirst time I went to a meetingI heardhim say: "The Bible tells you that the sun risesand sets. That is not so. The sun standsstill. All your lives you have been thinkingthat the earth never moved. Stand and look towardthe sun and know that it is the earth you are standingon whichis moving." Up to that day I always wentto the Baptist church.After I heard that sermonfrom the prophet, I was turnedaround completely. When I went home and heard that dinnerwas ready,I said: "I don't want to eat dinner. I just want to go back to the meetings."I wouldn'teat my meals but I goes back thatnight and I goes to everymeeting after that. Justto thinkthat the sun above me nevermoved at all and that the earthwe are on was doing all themoving. That changedeverything for me.4 The reportof the prophet'smessage spread through the Negro community.Many of those who heard him invited their friends and relatives to come to the meetings,appealing either to their curiosityor to deeperinterests. The attendanceat thehouse meet- ingsincreased so muchthat the prophetwas compelledto divide his hearersinto several groups, the members of each ofwhich were permittedto hear his messageonly at the timeassigned to their group.The inconveniencewas so obviousthat the prophet'sfol- lowersreadily contributed money sufficient to hirea hall whichwas fittedup as theTemple. THE PROPHET Althoughthe prophetlived in Detroitfrom July 4, I930, until June30, I934, virtuallynothing is knownabout him,save thathe "came fromthe East" and thathe "called" the Negroesof North Americato enterthe Nation of Islam. His veryname is uncertain. He was knownusually as Mr. Wali Farrad or Mr. W. D. Fard, thoughhe used also thefollowing names: ProfessorFord, Mr. Far- rad Mohammed,Mr. F. MohammedAli. One of thefew survivors whoheard his first addresses states that he himselfsaid: "My name is W. D. Fard and I camefrom the Holy Cityof Mecca. Moreabout myselfI willnot tellyou yet,for the timehas not yet come. I am yourbrother. You have not yetseen me in myroyal robes."5 Leg- endssoon sprang up aboutthis mysterious personality. Many mem- bersof the culthold thatthe prophet was bornin Mecca, the son ofwealthy parents of thetribe of the Koreish, the tribe from which 4 BrotherChallar Sharrieff, formerly, Mr. CharlesPeoples. s Interviewwith Mrs. CarriePeoples (Sister Carrie Mohammed). This content downloaded from 134.184.26.108 on Tue, 27 Oct 2015 10:03:13 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions VOODOO CULT AMONG NEGRO MIGRANTS 897 Mohammedthe Prophet sprang, and thathe was closelyrelated by blood to the dynastyof the Hashimidesheriffs of Mecca who be- came kingsof the Hejaz. He is said to have been educatedat a collegein England,6in preparationfor a diplomaticcareer in the serviceof thekingdom of theHejaz, but to have abandonedevery thingto bring"freedom, justice and equality,"7 to "his uncle"8 living"in thewilderness of NorthAmerica, surrounded and robbed completelyby the Cave Man."9 There has grown,however, among the membersof the cult a beliefthat the prophetwas more than man, as BrotherYussuf Mohammedclaimed: "When the police asked himwho he was, he said: 'I am the SupremeRuler of the Universe.'He told those policemore about himselfthan he wouldever tell us." THE NEGROES WHO HEARD THE "CALL " Not all whoattended the meetings and heardthe stranger's mes- sage acceptedhim as a prophet.Many ridiculed his attacksagainst the Caucasiansand wereangered by his criticismsof the churches and thepreachers. During the four years of his ministry,however, approximatelyeight thousand Negroes'0 in Detroit"heard the call" and becamemembers of the Nation of Islam. Interviewswith more thantwo hundred Moslem families showed that with less thanhalf- a-dozenexceptions all wererecent migrants from the ruralSouth, the majorityhaving come to Detroitfrom small communitiesin Virginia,South Carolina,Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.In- vestigationsof cult membersby the Wayne CountyProsecutor's officealso indicatedthe same origin.The interviewsdisclosed that 6 SisterCarrie Mohammed and certainothers claim that the prophetgraduated fromthe University of Southern California in Los Angeles. 7Symbolizedby theletters F J E on theMuslim flag hanging in thehome of every cultmember. 8 The AmericanNegroes-"the black men in thewilderness of North America"- arereferred to symbolicallyin the cult ritual as "theuncle of Mr. W. D. Fard." Mos- lemsof the East-Syrians, Turks and others-arereferred to as "thesecond uncle of Mr. W. D. Fard."
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