This Day in History: 2017-04-16
In the Year 1807 “Freed Muslim Remains in America” – Yarrow Marmout, an African slave of the Muslim faith, was set free in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood, where he lived for the
rest of his life. Marmout was an early shareholder in the Columbia
bank, which is the second chartered bank in the U.S. Today portraits
of Marmout hang in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the
Georgetown Public Library. In 1927, nearly 175 years after his arrival
to the U.S. as a slave, a descendant of his daughter-in-law’s family,
Robert Turner Ford, graduated from Harvard University.
July 4, 1930 - "Elijah Muhammad Forms Nation of Islam in Detroit" Elijah Muhammad formed the Nation of Islam in Detroit, Michigan, beginning what became an introduction to many African-Americans to the Islamic faith. The organization is famous for its role in organizing the black community in urban centers around America. It also is where Malcolm X began his career as a freedom fighter and religious leader. The Nation of Islam has been a source of protection, organization, refuge and resistance since its founding.