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Welcome back to Roots Information, our
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deep dive into the historical origins of
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what's been termed the Black Mafia.
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Today, we're tackling a fascinating and
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honestly pretty complex chapter, the
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Muslim Connection, specifically the ties
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between these organized crime elements
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and the Nation of Islam. Jesse Lily,
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thanks for joining me.
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Thanks, Daniel. This topic is ripe for
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discussion, especially because it's so
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often misunderstood or sensationalized.
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It's not as simple as NOI was the black
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mafia, which is a common misconception.
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Absolutely, Jesse. We're talking about a
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period from the 60s onward where the
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lines could get really blurry. But it's
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crucial to distinguish between an
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organization's stated goals and the
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actions of individuals or even how
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criminal elements might try to leverage
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or mimic aspects of a legitimate
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Exactly. Let's set the stage, though.
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The 1960s and 70s were a time of immense
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social upheaval in black communities
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across America. There was a desperate
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need for protection, for economic
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uplift, for a sense of identity and
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pride. And into this vacuum, you have
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the rise of the Nation of Islam offering
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a very disciplined, self-sufficient, and
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often defiant message. Right? The NOI
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was presenting an alternative, a stark
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contrast to the existing power
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structures. They preached black
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self-reliance, discipline, and a strong
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moral code, at least on the surface. For
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many, it was a lifeline. But for some,
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particularly those already involved in
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illicit activities, it also presented,
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let's call it, opportunities.
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And that's where the connections start
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to emerge. Historically, in places like
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Philadelphia, Chicago, or Detroit, where
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the Nation of Islam had a strong
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presence, some individuals involved in
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what would become known as the Black
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Mafia were either former members of the
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NOI, or they used the organization's
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reputation and discipline as a front for
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their own operations.
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It's like a dual identity in a way. You
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could be seen as a legitimate
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businessman, part of a respected
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religious group, while simultaneously
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running numbers, dealing drugs, or
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engaging in protection rackets under
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that guise. The strict dress codes, the
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abstension from alcohol and pork, it all
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projected an image of moral rectitude.
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And that image was powerful. In
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communities deeply distrustful of
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mainstream institutions, including law
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enforcement, an organization that
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promoted black empowerment and
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self-defense, could gain a certain level
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of respect, even fear. Criminal elements
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could exploit that respect to operate
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with less scrutiny or even offer
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protection under the banner of a strong
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One of the key aspects here is the
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economic component. The Nation of Islam
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had legitimate businesses, bakeries,
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restaurants, clothing stores. These
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provided employment and revenue for the
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community, but also in some instances
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offered a way to launder illicit funds
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or expand influence into legitimate
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sectors. It gave a veneer of
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You know, one of the more infamous
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examples that often comes up is the
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Black Mafia in Philadelphia and their
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alleged ties to some Nation of Islam
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mosques or individuals associated with
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them. This was a group known for extreme
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violence, drug trafficking, and control
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over various rackets.
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Indeed, the Black Mafia, which was
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really an umbrella term for several
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distinct but often interconnected black
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crime syndicates, sometimes used the
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NOI's philosophy of black nationalism
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and self-defense to justify their
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violent actions to themselves and to
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some in the community. They might claim
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they were protecting the community while
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really just extracting resources through
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fear. And it's important to stress that
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the official stance of the Nation of
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Islam under leaders like Elijah Muhammad
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and later Lewis Farrakhan was always
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against criminal activity. They publicly
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denounced drug use, violence, and
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promiscuity. But charismatic figures
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within the organization or individuals
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leveraging its symbols could certainly
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So, we're talking about a kind of
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parasitic relationship perhaps where
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criminal elements either infiltrated or
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simply mimicked and exploited the
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legitimate social and religious movement
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for their own ends or were there
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instances of direct collaboration where
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NOI members or even specific mosques
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were actively involved in illicit
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activities is more the former. I'd say
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the research points to individuals who
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were members or had strong affiliations
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using their position or the NOI's
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reputation to facilitate criminal
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enterprises. There were instances where
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mosques were used as meeting places or
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where security details for NOI leaders
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might have had other less legitimate
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responsibilities on the side, but
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pinning it on the organization as a
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whole is usually an oversimplification.
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Think about it from a sociological
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perspective. In a highly racialized
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society with limited opportunities and
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systemic oppression, these
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organizations, whether legitimate like
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the NOI or criminal like the Black
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Mafia, emerged as alternative power
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structures. They both offered a sense of
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belonging, purpose, and a way to exert
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control, even if through vastly
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That's a really good point, Jesse. They
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filled a void. And the discipline
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inherent in the Nation of Islam, the
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very strict codes of conduct, could also
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be appealing to someone coming out of a
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chaotic street life, even if they didn't
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fully adhere to it. It offered a kind of
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structure and a sense of belonging, a
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brotherhood, which is a core component
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of any successful organized crime group,
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isn't it? Loyalty, discipline, a shared
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identity. they could find that framework
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within the NOI or at least a corrupted
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version of it that mirrored what they
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needed for their criminal ventures.
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Let's not forget the protection aspect.
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In the early days, black communities
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often lacked effective police protection
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and sometimes faced hostility from law
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enforcement. The NOI with its
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paramilitary wing, the fruit of Islam,
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was seen by some as a protective force.
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Criminals seeing this might have sought
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affiliation or leveraged that perception
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for their own protection from rivals or
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So, it's almost like a form of street
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cred. If you were down with the Nation
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of Islam, or at least appeared to be,
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you carried a certain weight that could
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deter rivals or give you leverage in
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your own criminal operations. And this
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wasn't just in the big cities, right? It
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was a phenomenon seen in varying degrees
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Absolutely. Wherever the NOI established
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a strong presence, especially in the 60s
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and 70s, you'd see these dynamics play
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out. From Newark to Oakland, the pattern
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repeated. The local black mafia outfits
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might not have been a monolithic entity,
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but they often shared this common thread
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of trying to intertwine with or exploit
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the respect and structure offered by the
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Nation of Islam. And the fact that the
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NOI emphasized economic independence,
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starting their own businesses, that was
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a huge draw for someone looking to
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legitimize their illicit gains or to
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find a pathway out of pure street crime.
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An NOI affiliated business could be an
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appealing front. It provided a veneer of
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legitimacy that traditional rackets
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But what about when law enforcement
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started to catch on? How did these ties
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or the perception of these ties impact
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investigations into the black mafia? And
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conversely, how did it affect the Nation
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of Islam as a legitimate religious
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organization? That's a critical point
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for law enforcement. It created a
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massive challenge. Distinguishing
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between a legitimate religious leader
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and someone using their position as a
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cover was incredibly difficult. It also
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led to a lot of surveillance and
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potentially mischaracterizations of the
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NOI as a whole, which then fed into its
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own narrative of being persecuted.
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And for the NOI, it was a double-edged
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sword. While some individuals might have
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benefited from the fear factor
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associated with crime, the organization
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itself had to constantly distance itself
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from illicit activities to maintain its
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religious and social credibility. It's a
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delicate balance when elements
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purporting to be part of your movement
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are engaging in things you officially
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So, as we move into the 80s and '9s, did
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these connections evolve? Did they
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become more overt? Or did the NOI
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successfully manage to sever these links
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as it tried to consolidate its image as
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a more mainstream, albeit still
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controversial, religious and social
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movement? They largely dissipated in the
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overt sense. As the NOI evolved and as
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law enforcement tactics became more
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sophisticated in targeting organized
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crime specifically, the utility of such
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a front diminished. While individual
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members might still have had their own
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side hustles, the institutionalized
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direct ties became much rarer.
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Also, the nature of organized crime
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itself shifted. The crack epidemic in
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the 80s decentralized a lot of power.
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gangs became more numerous, less
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centralized, and often less interested
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in the ideological or protective aspects
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that the NOI might have once offered. It
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became more about pure profit and
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So, the Black Mafia itself changed,
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which in turn changed its relationship,
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or lack thereof, with the Nation of
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Islam from a complex intertwining in the
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60s and 70s to a more fragmented and
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less direct influence in later decades.
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Precisely. By the 90s and 2000s, while
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you might still find individuals who
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were ex-cons who found solace or
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structure in the NOI, the idea of the
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black mafia using the NOI as an
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institutionalized cover or partner had
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largely faded from prevalence. The focus
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of the NOI itself was also changing,
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engaging more in political activism and
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community outreach rather than
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maintaining a street presence in the
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same way. And the term black mafia
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itself started to become less a
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description of a singular organized
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entity and more a historical label for
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various independent black crime
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syndicates that rose and fell over time.
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The unifying thread of Muslim connection
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It's a testament to the fluidity of
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these movements, both legitimate and
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illegitimate, how they adapt to changing
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social, political, and economic
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landscapes. The 60s and 70s really
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offered a unique window for this
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particular intersection to thrive. It
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really highlights the idea that crime at
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its root is often a response to systemic
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issues. When legitimate pathways are
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blocked, people will find other avenues.
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And sometimes those avenues intersect
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with or exploit existing community
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structures, even religious ones.
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And it reminds us that history is rarely
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black and white. There's so much nuance
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and complexity in these interactions.
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You can't just slap a label on it and
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call it a day. You have to look at the
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individual players, the motivations, and
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the broader context.
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Absolutely. This has been a really
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enlightening discussion. Understanding
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these historical Muslim connections
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helps us grasp the full spectrum of
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challenges and choices faced by black
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communities during those tumultuous
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decades. Jesse Lily, thank you both for
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this fantastic conversation.
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My pleasure, Daniel. Always great to
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explore these deeper layers.
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Thanks for having me. It's a crucial
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part of the narrative to get right.
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And to our listeners, thank you for
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tuning in to Roots Information. Join us
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next time as we continue to peel back
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the layers of history. Until then, take
