ABSTRACT
The "conscience of the race" must be constructed from the inside out, one person at a time. The Nation of Islam has a track record of "turning the souls" of a great many underclass men, especially in prisons. In contrast, liberal black political leaders, ironically drawn substantially from the clergy, have checked their theologically conservative Christian witness at the door of the Democratic Party. In coalitions with feminists, gays and radical secularists, and in reaction against the politics of the religious right, they have muted their voices on social issues, leaving a void in black public life that Minister Louis Farrakhan has adroitly filled. Farrakhan's message of spiritual uplift is deeply rooted in a white-man-has-done-us-wrong grievance politics. The pre-march analysis was a tight little piece of amateur political theory that ran as follows: the problem with the Million Man March is that it mixes communal and political activities inappropriately.
