“The Voodoo Cult Among Negro Migrants in Detroit”, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 43, No. 6 (May 1938), by Erdmann Beynon

Intro
Erdman Doanne Beynon died in 1943, however, 5 years before he died (1938) he wrote an academic study on the Nation of Islam, the first of its kind. The next academic study was conducted and published in 1950-1951 by Hatim A. Sahib and in and around Chicago.

Erdman Doanne Beynon named his study as “THE VOODOO CULT AMONG NEGRO MIGRANTS
IN DETROIT”, it is barely 15 pages. Beynon explains how W.D. Fard was a Syrian-Arab peddler who sold goods. He interviewed people who had actually met W.D. Fard and they told of W.D. Fard being a prophet only.

Interestingly, on page 2 (page 894), Beynon quotes from a lady named Sister Denke Majied, formerly Mrs. Lawrence Adams. She told Beynon as follows:

“””He came first to our houses selling raincoats, and then afterwards silks. In this way he could get into the people’s houses, for every woman was eager to see the nice things the peddlars had for sale. He told us that the silks he carried were the same kind that our people used in their home country and that he had come from there. So we all asked him to tell us about our own country. If we asked him to eat with us, he would eat whatever we had on the table, but after the meal he began to talk: “Now don’t eat this food. It is poison for you. The people in your own country do not eat it. Since they eat the right kind of food they have the best health all the time. If you would live just like the people in your home country, you would never be sick anymore”. So we all wanted him to tell us more about ourselves and about our home country and about how we could be free from rheumatism, aches and pains”””.

Beynon also interviewed Brother Challar Sharrieff (formerly Mr. Charles Peoples), this guy told Beynon that Fard was reading the Bible to them. A woman named Mrs. Carrie Peoples (Sister Carrie Mohammed) told Beynon that Fard had several names like Mr. Wali Farrad, Mr. W. D. Fard, Professor Ford, Mr. Farrad Mohammed, and Mr. F. Mohammed Ali.

Beynon also spoke to Brother Yussuf Mohammed. Members of the Nation of Islam claimed 10,000 followers in 1938, however, the local Detroit police estimated the NOI to be like 5000. Beynon refers to W.D. Fard as a prophet, over and over again. He also mentions how W.D. Fard was charging $10 to issue a new Arabic name to black people.

Beynon tells us that on Jan-20-1937, a member of the NOI, Verlene McQueen aka Verlene Ali (who was a brother of an assistant minister) tried to kill someone in a ritual sacrifice.

Beynon explains how Communist, the Japanese and other outsiders tried to come in and control the NOI. He also speaks of schisms.

Beynon alleges that when W.D. Fard first made his appearance (1930-1934), most of the negro members were unemployed and living off of government assistance, however, by 1938, nearly all of them had jobs. Beynon alleges that most of the membership used to live in the slums of Hastings St. Beynon also alleges that the NOI has become less militant and less aggressive.

On pages 896-897, Beynon explains how he was told that W.D. Fard was from the famous Hashimite Dynasty (the Banu Hashim clan who was the Sharif and Emir of Mecca), this was repeated in Hatim (1951). Curiously, some people told Beynon that W.D. Fard was educated in England. However, Sister Carrie Mohammed and certain others claim that the prophet W.D. Fard graduated from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Ca.

Beynon was told by former members of W.D. Fard as follows, The black men in North America are not Negroes, but members of the lost tribe of Shebazz, stolen by traders from the Holy City of Mecca, 379 years ago (pages 897-898).

Beynon explains how there is a new schism in black people who follow the NOI and it has morphed into the “Temple People”, this group takes W.D. Fard to be God. Beynon reveals that Elijah Mohammed aka Elijah Poole aka Elijah Karriem (See Beynon) is the leader of this new splinter sect. Interestingly, on page 901, the 3 Poole brothers were given different names and surnames, thus causing a confusion, which was allegedly resolved by W.D. Fard telling them they weren’t blood brothers. Also on page 901, the name Anwar Pasha. The Pasha part is specifically Turkish (aka Ottoman).

In 1938, only 3 of the Poole brothers were mentioned in the famous study by Beynon. It was Elijah Karriem, not Elijah Muhammad. The other 2 brothers are not named, however, it is easily discernable to notice that John Muhammad was given the last name of Muhammad, which leaves the 3rd brother unknown. In 1951, Hatim (see page 61) mentioned how Kollat (another brother of Elijah Muhammad was there in 1934 and was working in the FOI as a captain in a few locations and opposed his brother Elijah Muhammad. He seems to be the 3rd brother who was mentioned in Beynon. Thus, it seems that James Poole never joined W.D. Fard. Another point of note, Elijah Muhammad told Hatim that his older brother and his father had heard of W.D. Fard and it was through them that he heard and was then motivated to meet W.D. Fard.