He preaches a dynamic message of African-American empowerment and self-reliance, offering discipline and hope to those most in need. At the same time, he outrages mainstream America with his fiery rhetoric and unrestrained criticism of whites, Jews, and Catholics, whom he blames for the ongoing oppression of blacks. He is the Reverend Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, and his voice shakes the nation.Prophet of Rage penetrates the rhetoric that surrounds this enigmatic figure to reveal his personal story, tracing his life from his birth as Eugene Walcott in the Bronx through his childhood in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, his training as a classical violinist, and his career as a calypso singer. It then follows his remarkable political career, recounting his indoctrination into the Nation of Islam, during which time he took the name “Louis X”; explaining his involvement with the assassination of Malcolm X; and chronicling his rise to power as a powerful orator, political leader, and self-proclaimed prophet.
Promoted as the "first ever biography of Louis Farrakhan",; Arthur Magida traces the life of one of America's most mysterious yet influential leaders. Magida, editorial director of Jewish Lights Publishing, presents a fine portrait of Farrakhan's childhood days in Boston. Born in 1933 as Louis Eugene Walcott, the boy excelled in many areas. A musician and a singer, a track star and excellent student, he attended a school for gifted children and was a camp counselor in the summer. Magida also provides insights into Farrakhan's four decades in the Nation of Islam and chronicles Farrakhan's more recent political skirmishes, including those with Jewish organizations.