A very key figure that is almost always omitted from the pages of Black History is the father of the 5% Nation, a man known simply as Allah. Born on this date in 1928 in Danville, Virginia as Clarence Smith, he established one of the most influential cultures in today’s society that spread from the ghettos of America to every continent on the globe. His goal to save the babies still stands paramount for the God Centered Culture as it did when he founded it almost 50 years ago.
The 5% Nation, who is also known as the Nation of Gods and Earths, also helped to pioneer the culture of Hip Hop, a way of life for disenfranchised youth in NYC. The B-Boy stance, the cipher, and the humble greeting of “Peace” are just a few of the key elelments that were adopted by Hip Hop from the “Five Percenters”. Many of Hip Hop’s legendary artists adhere to the teachings of the 5% including Big Daddy Kane, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, and members of Wu Tang Clan. The influence of the Five Percenters in Hip Hop is unparalleled and we have the man we know affectionately as Allah to thank for it.
Other “Black Facts” on this date:
1898- In Lake City, South Carolina, a Black postmaster was lynched and his wife and three daughters were shot and maimed for life.
1938- poet Ishmael Reed was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1950- Hall of Fame NBA player Julius Winfield Erving, better known as “Dr. J” was born in Roosevelt, New York.
1979- St. Lucia, the original home of the Arawak Indians, became independent from British and French colonialism.
1988- DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince won the first Grammy Award for Hip Hop for the song “Parents Just Don’t Understand” on this date.
-ShaBe Allah(@KingPenStatus)
