(born May 11, 1933, Bronx, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. religious leader. He joined the Nation of Islam in 1955, and for a time he assisted Malcolm X in Boston. After Malcolm converted to Sunni Islam, Farrakhan denounced him and replaced him as minister of Mosque No.
7 in Harlem. Farrakhan later expressed regret at having contributed to the climate of antagonism that preceded Malcolm's assassination in 1965. When Warith Deen Mohammed, Elijah Muhammad's successor as leader of the Nation of Islam, gradually began integrating the organization into the orthodox Muslim community, Farrakhan broke away and formed his own organization, also called the Nation of Islam (1978). A compelling orator whose rhetoric often descended into overt anti-Semitism, Farrakhan was nonetheless effective in encouraging African American self-reliance and unity. He was the main organizer of the Million Man March on Washington, D.C., in 1995. In 2000 Farrakhan and Mohammed recognized each other as fellow Muslims, and Farrakhan subsequently moved his group closer to orthodox Islam and moderated his racial remarks.
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