Unifying for a land of our own through real estate

By Abdul Azim Muhammad | Last updated: Mar 11, 2020 - 9:27:21 AM

DETROIT—Saviours’ Day 2020 held at the TCF Center in Detroit included a workshop titled, “Real Estate: Unifying For A Land of Our Own.” This workshop encompassed various issues in the Black community about real estate and property ownership. Topics included gentrification, homeownership, real estate investing, predatory practices used to steal land from Blacks and Native Americans and purchasing land for agricultural purposes.

Panelist Yonasda Lonewolf presents during workshop. Presenters also shared their knowledge and advice on owning and managing property.

Panelists during the Feb. 21 workshop included Conrad and Nancy Muhammad of Durham, North Carolina; Maurice Muhammad, a real estate broker at A Torchlight Realty of Plainfield, New Jersey; Latrice Muhammad, a real estate agent with extensive experience; Yonasda Lonewolf of the Oglala Lakota nation; Student Minster Abdul Haleem Muhammad and Student Secretary Michael Shabazz of Muhammad Mosque No. 45 in Houston; and Elisa Muhammad, who moderated the session. Workshop attendees sat in five separate circles that discussed several topics. Each circle was jammed packed with Believers and was facilitated by different panelists. Bro. Haleem Muhammad, who has a PhD in urban planning, led the circle on gentrification. The group discussed signs of gentrification and how it effects falling property value. In certain areas a Starbucks or shopping mall will be built, investors will begin fixing up dilapidated areas and then call it urban revitalization, explained one sister in the group.

Bro. Haleem spoke about using gentrification to our advantage through agrarian urbanism. “It’s about if we’re all pushed out to rural areas how we can leverage agriculture and farm areas? We don’t want to just feed people in the inner cities as if we’re slaves to them, but we want to leverage it in a way to make money,” he said. Sister Nancy Muhammad facilitated the group, “Unity in Land Acquisition/Retention.” Sister Nancy explained that land acquisition is not just for money. “We don’t want to do things to the land that will destroy the rich soil, strip it of its minerals and make it infertile. To destroy the land is not our way. How do we keep the land and use it to its best abilities,” she asked.

Sister Yonasda facilitated the circle titled, “With the 2 million Indians,” referenced from The Supreme Wisdom Lessons of the Nation of Islam.

One sister in the circle stated she only knew a little bit about our Native American brothers and sisters and would like to learn more to bridge the gap. Student Minister Randy Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque No. 11 in Boston is of Puerto Rican descent. He explained that Puerto Ricans are a mixture of the Indians and the Original Black man. He also explained the 2 million Indians already have sovereign land and that our unity is a part of the strategic planning to make us sovereign as a people.

Sister Yonasda and Bro. Randy explained that lots of Native Americans were pushed out of the inner city and onto reservations to separate them from Blacks and stop us from unifying. During slavery, enslaved Blacks would run to reservations, to native sovereign land.

Bro. Michael Shabazz spoke about how you can purchase a home with down payment assistance with a 640-credit score and a 40 percent debt to income ratio.

A wealth of knowledge was shared in this very informative workshop that featured an illustrious panel of knowledgeable speakers.

The Final Call