Community

The Philadelphia Masjid, Inc.: Reclaiming a bastion for Black Muslims

THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE — As one of the nation’s most historic Islamic sites, The Philadelphia Masjid, Inc. has a deep and textured history that’s seen highs and lows — from the building of a thriving religious community to having its very existence threatened. The Masjid was established in 1976 as a congregation of eight temples that were formerly apart of the Nation of Islam, and is known for fostering a robust Black Muslim community that produced devout followers, operated businesses and maintained an independent school.

Published

5 years ago

May 20, 2019

Staff Writer

By Samaria Bailey

As one of the nation’s most historic Islamic sites, The Philadelphia Masjid, Inc. has a deep and textured history that’s seen highs and lows — from the building of a thriving religious community to having its very existence threatened.

The Masjid was established in 1976 as a congregation of eight temples that were formerly apart of the Nation of Islam, and is known for fostering a robust Black Muslim community that produced devout followers, operated businesses and maintained an independent school.

Imam Kenneth Nuriddin addresses the congregation (Photo by: Abdul R. Sulayman | Tribune Chief Photographer)

Now rebuilding from a series of leadership and legal challenges nearly 10 years ago, their vision is to reclaim their position as a bastion for Black Muslims and the surrounding community.

“We grew out of a movement or a community that was known as the Nation of Islam, and it was a community that was independent in the sense that we relied on ourselves,” said Resident Imam Kenneth Nurridin. “We didn’t look to the East for direction, we really didn’t even look to America for direction, but we sort of looked at the need we had and our needs as a people.”

The Philadelphia Masjid has roots in the Nation of Islam’s Temple No. 12, formerly located at 13th and Susquehanna streets.

Following changes in the Nation, brothers and sisters left the main Temple No. 12 and other Temple No. 12 locations around the city to join the the World Community of Islam in the West under the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. These brothers and sisters established the Philadelphia Masjid in 1976.

“Imam Warith Deen Muhammad … brought us the religion, the traditional standards that are lived by Muslims all over the world, but the unique thing is we didn’t have to depend on them for interpretation or application of it. It was based on what we as a people needed,” said Nurridin. “We began to look at the things that the Nation of Islam espoused — the white man is the devil. This was also like a shock treatment for our people and for the greater society and it was almost like a chemotherapy because white supremacy was a cancer. If you got cancer, you need a strong drug. The treatments of Elijah Muhammad were like a chemotherapy that cured us of inferiority complexes and it freed us to now be in a position where we can take responsibility for our own community.”

The practice of this do-for-self philosophy resulted in the Philadelphia Masjid becoming a house of prayer that empowered its people socially just as much as it did spiritually.

“We [had] a school here … We had businesses. We had a supermarket, we had bakeries. We had a fish program where we were bringing in fish from Peru,” said Nurridin. “So, all of the economic necessities were brought into perspective and among our people. We had more economic strength when we were isolated or segregated because we had to do for self.”

The Sister Clara Muhammad School was a special point of pride. For nearly 30 years, it educated thousands of Black Muslim students in academics and the tenets of Islam.

By the early 2000s, the Masjid was embroiled in legal troubles and leadership issues, which hurt the development and economic progress made in their early years. The school, facing competition from charter schools, closed in 2005 amid the legal battles.

“It did slow down because everything we did was centered around the children,” said Aazim Muhammad, executive director of the Masjid’s Community Development Corporation. “There became a period when we were not as visible to the broader community because we were always associated with education. Now that we are going through a rebirth process, we are placing an emphasis back on education and education programming.”

Muhammad has been a member of the Philadelphia Masjid for more than 35 years. He was married and raised three children there but he moved to California in 2008 and was away for almost 10 years. Upon his return, he began working in the CDC, leading efforts to build programs to empower the community.

“We have new leadership. The CDC existed as a seed but we have new leadership and he has a very extensive background in running CDCs, so his expertise, his zeal, his commitment has enabled the CDC to grow in leaps and bounds in just a year,” said Nurridin.

The Philadelphia Masjid still owns its property — 44,000 square feet, including the building and land. As the surrounding community develops, Muhammad said, the Masjid has a vision to develop as well, even as they receive countless offers.

“We get inquiries in the mail almost on a daily basis,” he said. “But nobody is bold enough to knock on the door.”

Muhammad emphasized that the Masjid is not interested in selling the property. Instead, they’ve designed a vision that calls for the Black independence and do-for-self mentality that distinguished them in their early history.

The development plans include multigenerational, affordable housing for seniors and first-time homebuyers, an early-childhood training center and a vocational training or building trades program.

One piece of the development that will be piloted this year is a culinary training program for high-school dropouts and ex-offenders, in partnership with YouthBuild.

“No one came from another city and started the [Philadelphia Masjid]. It’s African-American started. We own this building. That’s what made it special. And it’s the biggest one in Philadelphia,” said Khadijah Hameen, a member of the Masjid for 44 years.

Hameen remembered coming up as a Muslim girl in training when she joined the Masjid as a teenager. She wasn’t raised in the religion but she was inspired by the Muslim women in her community.

“I lived down the block from Muslims. They were in the Nation of Islam. I always liked the way they carried themselves, the way they dressed,” said Hameen.

She joined the Philadelphia Masjid when she was 18 and is still there, an active sister who distributes free food for members and the community.

But what’s been just as important to her as the family-like environment of the Philadelphia Masjid is the sense of empowerment that’s come from being a part of it.

“It made you love yourself more. You were able to have self-love, self-preservation,” she said. “We’ve always been here for each other. We know this is something we have built and it’s something that belongs to us and we are not giving it up. This is our establishment.”

Tauheedah Jihad, a member who joined the Philadelphia Masjid as a teenager and also came up as a Muslim girl in training, agreed.

“This is my home. This is where I started. We used to cook. I was selling [the publication] “Muhammad Speaks,” she said. “Since they first opened this Masjid, through thick and thin, we’ve been together. We will fight to the bitter end to hold this institution up.”

This article originally appeared in The Philadelphia Tribune.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.

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City Government

Vallejo Community Members Appeal Major Use Permit for ELITE Charter School Expansion

Vallejo community members, former Solano County judge Paul Beeman and his wife Donna Beeman, filed an appeal against the approval of the Major Use Permit for the expansion of ELITE Public Schools into downtown less than two weeks after the Planning Commission approved the permit with a 6-1 vote.

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Vallejo community members have appealed the Major Use Permit for the ELITE Public Schools Charter high school expansion in the downtown area. Photo by Kinyon and Kim Architects, Inc.

By Magaly Muñoz

ELITE Charter School has been attempting to move into the downtown Vallejo area at 241-255 Georgia Street for two years, aiming to increase its capacity for high school students. However, a small group of residents and business owners, most notably the Beeman’s, have opposed the move.

The former county judge and his wife’s appeal alleges inaccuracies in the city’s staff report and presentation, and concerns about the project’s exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The Beeman’s stress that their opposition is not based on the charter or the people associated with it but solely on land use issues and potential impact on their business, which is located directly next to the proposed school location.

The couple have been vocal in their opposition to the expansion charter school with records of this going back to spring of last year, stating that the arrival of the 400 students in downtown will create a nuisance to those in the area.

During the Planning Commission meeting, Mr. Beeman asked Commissioner Cohen-Thompson to recuse herself from voting citing a possible conflict of interest because she had voted to approve the school’s expansion as trustee of the Solano County Board of Education. However, Cohen-Thompson and City Attorney Laura Zagaroli maintained that her positions did not create a conflict.

“I feel 100% that the attorney’s opinion is wrong,” Beeman told the Post.

He believes that Cohen-Thompson has a vested interest in upholding her earlier vote as a trustee and is advocating for people to ratify her opinion.

Cohen-Thompson declined to comment on the Post’s story and Zagaroli did not respond for comment.

The Beeman’s further argue that the school’s presence in the commercial district could deter future businesses, including those who sell alcohol due to proximity to schools.

According to Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC), the department can deny any retail license located within 600 feet of a school. Only one alcohol selling business is located within that range, which is Bambino’s Italian restaurant at 300 feet from the proposed location.

The project’s proponents argue that the school would not affect current or future liquor-selling establishments as long as they follow the ABC agency’s guidelines.

The Beeman’s also referenced Vallejo’s General Plan 2040, stating that the proposed expansion does not align with the plan’s revitalization efforts or arts and entertainment use. They argue that such a development should focus on vacant and underutilized areas, in accordance with the plan.

The proposed location, 241 Georgia Street aligns with this plan and is a two minute walk from the Vallejo Transit Center.

The General Plan emphasizes activating the downtown with, “Workers, residents, and students activate the downtown area seven days a week, providing a critical mass to support a ‘cafe culture’ and technology access, sparking innovation and entrepreneurship.”

City staff recommended exempting the project from CEQA, citing negligible impacts. However, Beeman raised concerns about increased foot traffic potentially exacerbating existing issues like theft and the lack of police presence downtown. He shared that he’s had a few encounters with kids running around his office building and disturbing his work.

Tara Beasley-Stansberry, a Planning Commissioner and owner of Noonie’s Place, told the Post that the arrival of students in downtown can mean not only opportunities for surrounding businesses, but can allow for students to find their first jobs and continue to give back to the community in revitalization efforts.

Beasley-Stansberry had advocated for the students at the March Commission meeting, sharing disappointment in the way that community members spoke negatively of the teens.

“To characterize these children as criminals before they’ve even graduated from high school, that’s when I had to really take a look and I was kind of lost as to where we were as a city and as a community to where I couldn’t understand how we were viewing these children,” Beasley-Stansberry told the Post.

She added that the commissioners who voted yes on the project location have to do what is right for the community and that the city’s purpose is not all about generating businesses.

ELITE CEO Dr. Ramona Bishop, told the Post that they have worked with the city and responded to all questions and concerns from the appropriate departments. She claimed ELITE has one of the fastest growing schools in the county with mostly Vallejo residents.

“We have motivated college-bound high school students who deserve this downtown location designed just for them,” Bishop said. “We look forward to occupying our new [location] in the fall of 2024 and ask the Vallejo City Council to uphold their Planning Commission vote without delay.”

The Vallejo City Council will make the final decision about the project location and Major Use Permit on April 23.