09/03/2019
Minister James Shabazz who was nicknamed the Son Of Thunder for his speaking style) was the first leader out of 257 South Orange ave. Minister James Shabazz had a very close relationship with The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Both of them were incarcerated together in the 1940's. It was in prison where the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught Minister James everything he knew. After being released from prison, T.H.E.M assigned Minister James to different Temples in the country (Baltimore being one of them) until finally sending him to Newark. Before Minister James came to Newark, and even before the mosque came to South Orange ave, you had what was called the Council. The Council in Newark was consistent of now elder statesmen like Brother Wali Muslim, Brother Ed Wadood, Sis Carolyn Kelly, etc with the late Brother Hassan Kareem as the leader. They were influential in bringing T.H.E.M to Newark and receiving its number 25. When Minister James came to Newark in the early 1960's, he enforced Elijah Muhammad's program fully in the Temple. With running a tight ship and promoting the "Do For Self" philosophy, Newark became one of the top contenders in the country representing the Nation Of Islam. Under Minister James leadership, Newark would outdo a lot of the top cities in the country in the selling of Muhammad Speaks, fundraisers, selling of Whiting H&G, etc. Many muslims in Newark ran their own buisnesses (Steak N Takes, Unity Beef, Shabazz Resteraunt and Grocery story, Dry Cleaners, Bakerys, Insurance Companies, Printing Press, etc). Newark represented the blue collar workers who weren't concerned with the spotlight. There main focus was to do the work. This earned Newark the reputation in the Muslim world, "If you want something done, get the muslims from Newark to do it". Minister James instilled the importance of protocol and following leadership in the believers of Newark. Minister James was extremely loyal to T.H.E.M and wouldn't make a move without his consent. This protocol made Newark a powerhouse. Photo and information courtesy of Yahya Shabazz.
