Black Journal: 23; The Nation of Common Sense

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

Film clip from Episode 23 of the Black Journal television program. It consists of a single reel of 16mm color acetate film with optical sound. The film begins with tracking shots from a moving vehicle as it moves through an unidentified neighborhood. In a voiceover, an unidentified woman describes her search for spiritual meaning, how Christianity failed her, and how she came to the Nation of Islam. Shots of a storefront church are shown in addition to the tracking shots. The next segment begins with shots of men selling the "Muhammad Speaks" newspaper on street corners. As a shot of a rotating crescent and star is shown, a narrator (St. Clair Bourne) begins discussing the economic enterprises of the Nation of Islam. A montage of various NOI businesses plays as he speaks. The film then focuses on the publishing of “Muhammad Speaks.

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