cover image Inside the Nation of Islam: A Historical and Personal Testimony of a Black Muslim

Inside the Nation of Islam: A Historical and Personal Testimony of a Black Muslim

Vibert L. White, Jr.. University Press of Florida, $24.95 (259pp) ISBN 978-0-8130-2082-2

While many books have been written about the Nation of Islam, far fewer have offered personal accounts of life within the movement. (Sonsyrea Tate's Little X stands out in this small group.) Vibert White's Inside the Nation of Islam: A Historical and Personal Testimony of a Black Muslim is unusual in that it provides a relatively late account of life in the Nation. He focuses on the 1980s and 1990s, after Louis Farrakhan had split with Wallace D. Muhammad and the Nation's numbers had dwindled to fewer than 10,000 members. White, who is no longer a member, draws upon his experience as an internal analyst for Farrakhan to present the group's history and evolution. It's a fascinating, detailed account.