The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan will discuss details of a national development fund for distressed communities on Sunday, October 20, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Farrakhan’s address is part of an annual commemoration of the historic Million Man March/Holy Day of Atonement held in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995. The event drew close to two million Black men to the nation’s capital under the banner of “Atonement, Reconciliation and Responsibility.”
The economic blueprint is based on the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, founder of the Nation of Islam, who calls for independent business development in agriculture, industry, commerce, and banking in poor and underserved communities.
“Atonement Weekend” will be commemorated with a series of events in Tuskegee and Montgomery from Friday, October 18th through Sunday, October 20th.
Friday, October 18, 2013:
Day of Service – Blueberry Cultivation
SEED Inc. will conduct a hands-on workshop on blueberry cultivation at Shady Grove Blueberry Patch. Participants will learn how to prune, cultivate and propagate blueberry bushes. Each participant will take home a bare-root blueberry bush. Shady Grove Road Blueberry Patch, County Road 81, Tuskegee, AL 36083. 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Register at www.seedincorporated.com/blueberrycultivation.
Jumah Prayer
The Nation of Islam will lead a traditional Jumah prayer service for the Muslim community. Renaissance Hotel, 201 Tallapoosa St., Montgomery, AL 36104, 1 p.m.
Community Healing Day
Tuskegee’s Emotional Emancipation Circle is part of the Community Healing Network’s annual Community Healing Days held annually the 3rd weekend in October. This event will actively engage the Ridgewood community in an afternoon of healing from the deep seated myth of Black inferiority. Ridgewood Community, 2907 Davison St. (off Howard Rd), Tuskegee Institute, AL 36088, 3-7 p.m. For more information, call (334) 421-7160.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Building a New World Student Conference
The Nation of Islam invites students enrolled at HBCUs to attend a day-long conference envisioning a new world of freedom, justice and equality. Booker T. Washington High School, 3803 W. Martin Luther King Hwy, Tuskegee, AL 36083. Program starts at 9 a.m. www.buildinganewworldconf.com
The Future of Farming and Food in America
With the average age of Black farmers being over 60 years of age, we must address the need for producing the next generation of farmers, agricultural scientists, manufacturers and store and restaurant owners so that we can control our food from “the land to the man.” This conference is sponsored by Independent Black Farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Nation of Islam. Booker T. Washington High School, 3803 W. Martin Luther King Hwy, Tuskegee, AL 36083, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, contact Dr. Ridgely Mu’min Muhammad at drridge@noimoa.com or phone 229-995-6619. www.noimoa.com
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Sunrise March
The Atonement March begins at the old Greyhound bus station in Tuskegee with the laying of a wreath to commemorate the life of Tuskegee native and voting rights activist Sammy Younge Jr, the first college student to die in the modern-day civil rights movement. Old Greyhound bus station, 501 E. MLK (Hwy 80), Tuskegee, AL 36083, 7 a.m. For more information, call (334) 720-0500.
Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint to End Poverty and Want
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan will give the keynote address at Tuskegee’s Main Street Historic District. The event is free and open to the public. Tuskegee City Square, Main St. and Martin Luther King Hwy., Tuskegee, AL 36083, 2 p.m. (gates open at 12 p.m.) www.noi.org/holy-day-of-atonement
