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Subscribe] FinalCall.com News - Refer This Page National News M.U.I. Alumni Inspire Students, Teachers, Parents, Staff (FinalCall.com) - Muhammad University of Islam had the honor of welcoming home one of its distinguished former students who is currently the president of media sales for Black Entertainment Television, Mr. Louis Carr. After Brother Larry Muhammad provided the students, teachers, parents and staff of M.U.I. with a comprehensive overview of Brother Louis Carr’s professional background, this distinguished B.E.T. executive began his address by telling the current students that “... you have a great opportunity for the future!” He went on to state that “M.U.I. gave me a sense of pride for my Blackness and an understanding of my Blackness. I was also given the means to overcome all obstacles—a reality that faces Black people all over the world. But Black people are the chosen people. ... And here, at M.U.I., I gained the attitude that I could do anything.” Beyond these initial words, Mr. Carr specifically spoke to the students first about having a great respect for one another, which starts with having respect for God, one’s parents, then the teachers and the administrators of M.U.I. He fondly recalls his educational experience at M.U.I., which was during the time that the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad was among us, “the M.U.I. Teachers and Administrators had a clear vision for me.” Similarly, he also expressed how his mother had a clear vision for him; with this point, he reinforced the principle of honoring one’s parents. Mr. Carr told the students that “they must trust their parents, teachers and administrators like they trust that the chairs that they are sitting in will be able to hold their bodily weight, thus they will not fall on the floor. The chair has no personality or interest, but you trust the chair’s ability...You must trust the people that are taking care of you.” Along with the significance of the students trusting their parents and teachers, Mr. Carr spoke about the importance of the process of learning. He used some of the hip hop artists that he works with as examples, arguing that even these artists whose videos we see and whose songs we hear on the radio everyday—they are all committed to the tremendous discipline and hard work that is required for their viewers and listeners to receive their final product. In this same moment of discussion, the value of students thinking about their career options from a young age was declared; other advice that he shared with the students included: the fact that students should strive to be different in a positive way, so people will take notice of you in wonder; strive to speak and to write grammatically correct, embrace the discipline given to them because they are being prepared to be the leaders of the future; be appreciative of the educational environment that they enter everyday. Finally, like other moments in his address to the students, Mr. Carr bore witness to the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. In fact, he acknowledged that his first sales job was at 6-years-old—selling the Muhammad Speaks newspaper with his father. Another highlight in his talk to the M.U.I. community was the thoughtful and challenging question and answer session between Mr. Carr and some of the students. While the students asked Mr. Carr several questions, he took the time to answer all of them. Some of the initial questions he acknowledged, “caught him off guard.” One student posed the question, “What did you learn at M.U.I. that helped you with the rest of your life?” His answer was self-discipline, “... you can not be successful in anything without discipline.” Sister Maisa Muhammad, a 2nd grade student asked, “What encouraged you to join the B.E.T. company?” His reply was “A friend’s recommendation, who had previously worked for the company.” Then, Brother Marquette Muhammad, a 7th grade student asked how did the company get bought-out? Mr. Carr was struck by how informed the students were about the business side of B.E.T. He responded by saying that “... the company became as successful as it could; and this opportunity would make Mr. Bob Johnson one of the first Black billionaires.” One of the final questions posed by Sister Taqiyyah Muhammad, an 8th grade student, was “How do you feel about the negative influences of B.E.T.?” He began his answer by stating, “We ought to do a better job. The images that we see will start to change in the near future. We have a job to demonstrate the responsibilities that we have to Black people. Currently, I am working with various record companies to show our musical message in a different light than what is being seen right now.” In his final words to the M.U.I. community, Mr. Carr called to mind the profound words that former F.O.I. Captain Brother Wali Muhammad of Chicago, shared with him some time ago, “...You will not find happiness on those slopes. Some people are put on this earth to serve and they just have to recognize.” And he took this moment to publicly tell Brother Wali, that he finally “recognized.” Then, as a gesture of gratefulness for his presence at M.U.I., Brother Dr. Larry Muhammad (National Director of M.U.I.) and some members of the school’s Administrative Staff presented Mr. Carr with a certificate of appreciation and flowers. Simultaneously, Mr. Carr provided M.U.I. with gracious monetary donation. In his closing remarks, Mr. Carr reiterated that his M.U.I experience is something that he “will remember until I take my last breathe—discipline, caring and mentoring, he will take with him forever.”
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