Young man’s spirit and work earns holy name for entire family

By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Assistant Editor- | Last updated: Jul 3, 2014 - 8:20:53 PM

17-year-old Leroy Karriem with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

PHILADELPHIA - Perhaps the most talked about event among the members of the Nation of Islam over the weekend was when a young 17-year-old brother from Chester, Pennsylvania received his holy name directly from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Brother Leroy X was on post at the hotel in Philadelphia where the Minister was staying, and told The Final Call about his experience.

“Minister Farrakhan was coming through and as I shook his hand I said ‘As-Salaam Alaikum Dear Apostle.’ He looked at me and smiled and I started stuttering, I couldn’t speak and the E-Team tried to rush me but he said ‘no I want to hear the young brother speak.’ I spoke and then later I got a word that he wanted to see me so I thought I was in trouble for speaking to the Minister on post,” he said.

Upon entering, the young brother said he was preparing to be searched and then the Minister just motioned to the brothers to let him in without being searched.

“I felt as though he really trusted me and I felt so honored just to be in his presence,” said Brother Leroy who is a part of the study group in Chester, Pennsylvania under the direction of student minister Keith Muhammad.

He said the Minister then asked him what his name was.

“I said I’m Leroy X and then I caught myself and then I said I’m Leroy Whitaker. He smiled and said ‘no sir your name is from now on Leroy Karriem.’ Then he asked me who named me Leroy. I explained to him my mom did. He said he wasn’t going to disrespect my mom by changing my name.”

Brother Leroy was named after his grandfather who has passed away. After telling the Minister who his father was, the Minister said “Well your whole family is now Karriem.” Young Brother Leroy said he became emotional and excited at the same time.

“That made me feel blessed I could barely speak, I was crying from joy!” said Brother Leroy who immediately called his mother informing her of the blessing and great news.

Brother Leroy Karriem—already a top soldier by all accounts—said this has inspired him to do even more to bring people to Islam and to deliver The Final Call newspaper to them, and he sincerely thanked Minister Farrakhan.

“To the Minister I want to say I love him and I’m going to try my best to do everything I can to get every single person that I come in contact with to come to hear the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad under his direction and I’d like to tell the Believers to keep striving and keep studying and help our Minister.”

The Final Call