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Rebuilding the wasted cities into generational wealth

By Charlene Muhammad -National Correspondent- | Last updated: Mar 8, 2018 - 8:01:55 AM

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CHICAGO—The Nation of Islam’s (NOI) Housing and Community Development Task Force outlined the blueprint for building generational wealth at a workshop entitled “Rebuilding the Wasted Cities,” during its annual Saviours’ Day convention.

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Kamal Muhammad summoned his experience as an investment banker, former NOI national secretary and chief financial officer for the historic Million Man March to launch the Detroit-Mecca Project, and to help rebuild the city where Master Fard Muhammad founded the Muslim movement.

Beautiful homes were abandoned by a dire economy and broken spirits when Detroit went bankrupt after the 2007 housing market collapse, so he developed a five-step plan.

It starts with helping members of the NOI and the Black community become homeowners within seven years. The project buys and refurbishes abandoned properties, then teaches owners how to utilize their real estate investments as family homes or rentals.

“I brought this idea to Minister Louis Farrakhan because I wanted to help the Nation,” said Kamal Muhammad.

Things were difficult at first, and people thought he was crazy for buying properties in a city going bankrupt.  “Every time they showed something on Detroit, you’d see a house that looked like somebody had dropped a bomb on it,” he said.

He said the median home prices jumped from $7,500 in 2013 to $37,600 today.  The median home price in the United States is approximately $290,000, continued Kamal Muhammad, who is a son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Min. Farrakhan’s son-in-law. He beautifully acknowledged his mother, Ola Muhammad as she arrived to the Feb. 24 workshop.

Workshop panelists Virginia Muhammad, secretary of Mosque No. 11 in Boston who runs the Neighborhood Development Corporation of Grove Hall; Student Min. Marcus Muhammad, who is also mayor of Benton Harbor, Michigan; Student Minister Troy Muhammad, real estate brokers Letitia Muhammad and Elsie Muhammad of Mosque No. 1 in Detroit joined the plan to help Blacks create generational wealth.

In 2015 Min. Farrakhan instructed the Muslims to purchase property in Detroit, said Troy Muhammad.  At that time, home buyers were given two for free, and people were being offered whole blocks to build its tax base, he said.

Recently, he was offered a block of 600 homes in one area under the condition the Muslims would improve it within a four-month period. That takes the right group of people pooling their resources and talents to make it happen, he said.

In addition, Detroit offers the Muslims discounts just for being NOI members, according to Troy Muhammad.  Detroit loves Min. Farrakhan, and city officials base a lot of their concessions on knowing the NOI can help bring cultural change to the city, he said.

“When Master Fard Muhammad, who is Allah (God) in Person, came to Detroit, it was only one area called Black Bottom. … Now, the entire city is Black Bottom and in order to raise the city up, each Believer must become Master Fard Muhammad,” Troy Muhammad continued, echoing Min. Farrakhan’s divine guidance.

“That’s what I believe we are being called to do today, to come together, pool our resources, lift the city up, but not just lift the city up, but that city then becomes an example, because this is where Master Fard Muhammad came,” he continued.

“All of our work is divinely led,” said Letitia Muhammad.  “Today’s workshop focus was showing people the seed of an idea, because we’ve been doing this workshop for a few years, so it was little bit more of the concrete,” she said. 

There were early challenges to make the project’s model profitable, but now, it has a community development corporation registered within Detroit and strong relations with civic leaders.

This is an opportunity for easy entry into homeownership and for Blacks who have never had anything to begin to practice and learn how to own something for themselves, she told The Final Call.

“Our people are beset with day-to-day survival issues, so translating that idea to them is a little challenging, because it’s hard for us to see five years, 10 years, 20 years down the road,” Letitia Muhammad stated.

CHICAGO—The Nation of Islam’s (NOI) Housing and Community Development Task Force outlined the blueprint for building generational wealth at a workshop entitled “Rebuilding the Wasted Cities,” during its annual Saviours’ Day convention.

Kamal Muhammad summoned his experience as an investment banker, former NOI national secretary and chief financial officer for the historic Million Man March to launch the Detroit-Mecca Project, and to help rebuild the city where Master Fard Muhammad founded the Muslim movement.

Beautiful homes were abandoned by a dire economy and broken spirits when Detroit went bankrupt after the 2007 housing market collapse, so he developed a five-step plan.

It starts with helping members of the NOI and the Black community become homeowners within seven years. The project buys and refurbishes abandoned properties, then teaches owners how to utilize their real estate investments as family homes or rentals.

“I brought this idea to Minister Louis Farrakhan because I wanted to help the Nation,” said Kamal Muhammad.

Things were difficult at first, and people thought he was crazy for buying properties in a city going bankrupt.  “Every time they showed something on Detroit, you’d see a house that looked like somebody had dropped a bomb on it,” he said.

He said the median home prices jumped from $7,500 in 2013 to $37,600 today.  The median home price in the United States is approximately $290,000, continued Kamal Muhammad, who is a son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Min. Farrakhan’s son-in-law. He beautifully acknowledged his mother, Ola Muhammad as she arrived to the Feb. 24 workshop.

Workshop panelists Virginia Muhammad, secretary of Mosque No. 11 in Boston who runs the Neighborhood Development Corporation of Grove Hall; Student Min. Marcus Muhammad, who is also mayor of Benton Harbor, Michigan; Student Minister Troy Muhammad, real estate brokers Letitia Muhammad and Elsie Muhammad of Mosque No. 1 in Detroit joined the plan to help Blacks create generational wealth.

In 2015 Min. Farrakhan instructed the Muslims to purchase property in Detroit, said Troy Muhammad.  At that time, home buyers were given two for free, and people were being offered whole blocks to build its tax base, he said.

Recently, he was offered a block of 600 homes in one area under the condition the Muslims would improve it within a four-month period. That takes the right group of people pooling their resources and talents to make it happen, he said.

In addition, Detroit offers the Muslims discounts just for being NOI members, according to Troy Muhammad.  Detroit loves Min. Farrakhan, and city officials base a lot of their concessions on knowing the NOI can help bring cultural change to the city, he said.

“When Master Fard Muhammad, who is Allah (God) in Person, came to Detroit, it was only one area called Black Bottom. … Now, the entire city is Black Bottom and in order to raise the city up, each Believer must become Master Fard Muhammad,” Troy Muhammad continued, echoing Min. Farrakhan’s divine guidance.

“That’s what I believe we are being called to do today, to come together, pool our resources, lift the city up, but not just lift the city up, but that city then becomes an example, because this is where Master Fard Muhammad came,” he continued.

“All of our work is divinely led,” said Letitia Muhammad.  “Today’s workshop focus was showing people the seed of an idea, because we’ve been doing this workshop for a few years, so it was little bit more of the concrete,” she said. 

There were early challenges to make the project’s model profitable, but now, it has a community development corporation registered within Detroit and strong relations with civic leaders.

This is an opportunity for easy entry into homeownership and for Blacks who have never had anything to begin to practice and learn how to own something for themselves, she told The Final Call.

“Our people are beset with day-to-day survival issues, so translating that idea to them is a little challenging, because it’s hard for us to see five years, 10 years, 20 years down the road,” Letitia Muhammad stated.