About Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan (born Louis Eugene Walcott, later Louis X; May 11, 1933) is an American religious leader who has been the head of the Nation of Islam since 1981, a new religious movement which combines black nationalism and Islamic terminology. Prior to the NOI, Farrakhan was a calypso singer who used the stage name Calypso Gene from 1950 to 1955 and a violinist from 1939 to 1955. The longest-serving NOI leader, he also served as minister of several mosques in Boston and Harlem in the 1950s under the leadership of Elijah Muhammad. After the death of Elijah Muhammad, his son Warith Deen Mohammed reorganized the original NOI into the orthodox Sunni Islamic group American Society of Muslims. Farrakhan began to rebuild the NOI as "Final Call". In 1981, he officially adopted the name "Nation of Islam", reviving the group and establishing its headquarters at Mosque Maryam. In October 1995, Farrakhan organized and led the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. Due to health issues, he reduced his responsibilities with the NOI in 2007. However, Farrakhan has continued to deliver sermons and speak at NOI events. In 2015, he led the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March: Justice or Else. Farrakhan has made several statements that have been condemned as antisemitic, homophobic or racist against white people, and he has been a controversial figure for such remarks. His antisemitic statements and views have been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and other organizations. Farrakhan has also been criticized for being homophobic and sexist. He has denied assertions that he is antisemitic, racist, sexist, or anti-gay. Farrakhan was banned from Facebook in 2019 along with other public figures Meta considered to be political or religious extremists, and the official Nation of Islam YouTube channel was removed for "hate speech" in 2020. When Farrakhan first joined the NOI, he was asked by Elijah Muhammad to put aside his musical career as a calypso singer. A year later, he participated in national competitions and won them. In 1946, he was one of the first black performers to appear on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour, where he also won an award. Farrakhan is most prominent for antisemitic statements and racist remarks directed at white people.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.