- Creator
- Bey, Allan Ahmed
- Call number
- Sc MG 827
- Physical description
- 0.67 linear feet (2 boxes)
- Language
- English
- Preferred Citation
- [Item], Moorish Science research collection, Sc MG 827, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
- Repository
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
- Access to materials
- Request an in-person research appointment.
Moorish Science Temple of America, is an U.S. religious movement founded in Newark, N.J., in 1913 by Timothy Drew (1886–1929), known to followers as Noble Drew Ali and also as the Prophet. Drew Ali taught that all Blacks were of Moorish origins but had their Muslim identity taken away from them through slavery and racial segregation. He advocated that they should "return" to the Islam of their Moorish forefathers, redeeming themselves from racial oppression by reclaiming their historical spiritual heritage. He also encouraged use of the term "Moor" rather than "Black" in self-identification. Many of the group's formal practices were derived from Muslim observances. This collection consists of materials collected by Allen Ahmed Bey for his research on the Moorish Science Temple in the United States. Included in the collection are legal briefs on the status of Moorish Nation Nationals (citizens) which contain a public declaration of national constitutional immunity. Also included are a number of documents on the history of the Moorish Nation and instructional manuals (lessons) for members.
Administrative information
Source of acquisition
Gift of Allan Ahmed Bey, January 2010.
Revision History
Finding aid updated by Lauren Stark. (2020 November 9)
Processing information
Accessioned by Nurah-Rosalie Jeter, May 2010.
Related Material
Moorish Science Temple of America collection, Sc MG 435, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Bibliography
Encylopaedia Britannica. "Moorish Science Temmple of America." Accessed November 9, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moorish-Science-Temple-of-America.
Key terms
Names
Subjects
Using the collection
Location
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor