New Rochelle, New York
—  City  —
Official seal of New Rochelle, New York Seal
Nickname(s): Queen City of the Sound
Motto: Nunquam Retrorsum
Location within Westchester County
New Rochelle, New York Location within Westchester County
Coordinates: 40°55′43″N 73°47′3″W / 40.92861°N 73.78417°W / 40.92861; -73.78417Coordinates: 40°55′43″N 73°47′3″W / 40.92861°N 73.78417°W / 40.92861; -73.78417
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
Incorporated (city)	1899
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	Noam Bramson (D)
Area
• Total	13.2 sq mi (34.3 km2)
• Land	10.4 sq mi (26.8 km2)
• Water	2.9 sq mi (7.5 km2)
Elevation	85 ft (26 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	77,062
• Density	6,973.5/sq mi (2,692.5/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	10801, 10802, 10804, 10805
Area code(s)	914
FIPS code	36-50617
GNIS feature ID	0958451
Website	http://www.newrochelleny.com

New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.

The town was settled by refugee Huguenots (French Protestants) in 1688 who were fleeing persecution (such as dragonnade) in France . Many of the settlers were artisans and craftsmen from the city of La Rochelle, France, thus influencing the choice of the name of "New Rochelle."

In 2007, the city had a population of 73,260, making it the seventh largest in the state of New York.^[1] As of the 2010 Census, the city's population had increased to 77,062. In 2008, New Rochelle was recognized by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) as one of the 100 Best Walking Cities in America, and the second best in New York State next only to nearby New York City.^[2] In November 2008 Business Week magazine listed New Rochelle as the best city in New York State, and one of the best places nationally, to raise children.^[3]

History[link]

17th century[link]

Statue of Jacob Leisler

Some 33 families established the community of la Nouvelle-Rochelle in 1688. A monument containing the names of these settlers stands in Hudson Park, the original landing point of the Huguenots.^[4] Thirty-one years earlier, the Siwanoy Indians sold their land to Thomas Pell. In 1689 Pell officially deeded 6,100 acres (25 km²) for the establishment of a Huguenot community.^[5] Jacob Leisler is an important figure in the early histories of both New Rochelle and the nation. He arrived in America as a mercenary in the British army and later became one of the most prominent merchants in New York. He was subsequently appointed acting-governor of the province, and it was during this time that he acted on behalf of the Huguenots.^[6]

Of all the Huguenot settlements in America founded with the view of being distinct French colonies, New Rochelle most clearly conformed to the plans of its founders. The colony continued to attract French refugees until as late as 1760. The choice of name for the city reflected the importance of the city of La Rochelle and of the new settlement in Huguenot history and distinctly French character of the community. French was spoken, and it was common practice for people in neighboring areas to send their children to New Rochelle to learn the language.^[7]

18th century[link]

Thomas Paine Memorial

In 1775 General George Washington stopped in New Rochelle on his way to assume command of the Army of the United Colonies in Massachusetts.^[8] The British Army briefly occupied sections of New Rochelle and Larchmont in 1776. Following British victory in the Battle of White Plains, New Rochelle became part of a "Neutral Ground" for General Washington to regroup his troops.^[8] After the Revolutionary War ended in 1784, patriot Thomas Paine was given a farm in New Rochelle for his service to the cause of independence. The farm, totaling about 300 acres (1.2 km²), had been confiscated from its owners by state of New York due to their Tory activities.

The first national census of 1790 shows New Rochelle with 692 residents, 136 of whom were African American.^[9]

19th century[link]

Through the 18th century, New Rochelle had remained a modest village that retained an abundance of agricultural land. During the 19th century, however, with the rapid growth of New York City by immigration principally from Ireland and Germany, more American families left New York City and moved into the area. Although the original Huguenot population was rapidly shrinking in relative size, through ownership of land, businesses, banks, and small manufactures, they retained a predominant hold on the political and social life of the town.

The 1820 Census showed 150 African-Americans residing in New Rochelle, six of whom were slaves. In 1857 the Village of New Rochelle was established within the borders of the Town of New Rochelle. A group of volunteers created the first fire service in 1861. In 1899 a bill creating the New Rochelle City Charter was signed by Governor Theodore Roosevelt. It was through this bill that the Village and Town of New Rochelle were joined into one municipality. In 1899 Michael J. Dillon narrowly defeated Hugh A. Harmer to become New Rochelle's first mayor. The recently established city charter designated four wards, a board of alderman (two from each ward), and 10 elected from the city at large.^[10]

20th and 21st centuries[link]

Map of New Rochelle in 1918

By 1900 New Rochelle had a population of 14,720.^[11] In 1904 plans were completed for Rochelle Park, one of the first planned communities in the country.^[12] In 1909, Edwin Thanhouser established Thanhouser Film Corporation. Thanhouser's Million Dollar Mystery was one of the first serial motion pictures.^[13] In 1923, New Rochelle resident Anna Jones became the first African American woman to be admitted to the New York State Bar.^[14]

Poet and resident James J. Montague captured the image of New Rochelle in his 1926 poem "Queen City of the Sound".^[15] The last four lines of the poem are:

In 1930 New Rochelle recorded a population of 54,000, up from 36,213 only ten years earlier. During the 1930s New Rochelle was the wealthiest city per capita in New York state and the third wealthiest in the country.^[16]

By the end of the century, the City had begun a massive revitalization of its 'downtown'. In 1999, part of downtown New Rochelle near the Metro North train station was rebuilt with a $190 million entertainment complex, nicknamed New Roc City, which features a 19-screen movie theater, an IMAX theater, an indoor ice-hockey arena, mini-golf, go karts, an arcade, restaurants, a hotel, loft-apartments and a mega supermarket. The complex was built on the former Macy's and Mall which had opened in 1968.^[17]

Geography[link]

New Rochelle is located at 40°55′43″N 73°47′03″W / 40.9286°N 73.7842°W / 40.9286; -73.7842 (New Rochelle, New York), at the southeastern point of continental New York State. It lies on the Long Island Sound, bordered on the west by Pelham, Pelham Manor and Eastchester, by Scarsdale to the north and east, Mamaroneck and Larchmont to the east. The city lies 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the New York City border (Pelham Bay Park in The Bronx).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.2 square miles (34.3 km²). The city has a rough triangle shape, approximately 10 miles (16 km) from north to south and 1.5 miles (2 km) from east to west at its widest point.

Demographics[link]

As measured by the census^[18] of 2000, New Rochelle had a population of 72,182 people, 24,275 occupied households, and 17,546 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,973.5 people per square mile (2,692.7/km²). There were 26,995 housing units at an average density of 2,608.0 per square mile (1,007.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68% White, 19% African American, 0.20% Native American, 4% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6% from other races, and 3% from two or more races. 20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. There were 26,189 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.29.

19,312 residents of New Rochelle were enrolled in school, with 2,743 in pre-school or kindergarten, 8,105 in elementary school, 3,704 in high school and 5,030 in college or graduate school. Out of 42,872 individuals over the age of 25, 20% (9,766) had no high school diploma, 23% (11,325) were high school graduates, 14% (6,710) achieved some level of college education, 5% (2,347) held an associate's degree, 19% (9,120) held a bachelor's degree and 20% (9,604) possessed a graduate or other advanced degree.

The working population was 35,262, 95.7% of whom were employed. The occupational breakdown had 42% working in 'management', 25% working in 'sales', 17% in 'services', 8% in 'construction', and 7% in 'production and transport'. The average daily commute was 30 minutes, with 60% driving to work, 12% carpooling, 18% traveling via public-transportation and 7% using other means.

According to the 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $64,756 and the median income for a family was $88,004.^[19] About 9.8% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Residential profile[link]

New Rochelle is commonly referred to as 'The Home Town' because of the significant amount of single-family, residential development that exists throughout most of the city. While the formerly industrial downtown section is more densely developed, with condominiums, high rises, offices, shopping centers, affordable housing complexes, a medical center, nursing homes, two college campuses and an inter modal transportation hub, the rest of the city consists of sprawling, residential neighborhoods. There are more than 11,500 single family units within the city, more than that of neighboring Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Scarsdale combined. The total number of separate households surpasses 26,000, more than that of neighboring Pelham, Pelham Manor, Eastchester, Scarsdale, Mamaroneck and Larchmont combined.

Housing variety[link]

Some of the country's most expensive real estate can be found in New Rochelle. The north end of the city (10804) is ranked in Forbes Magazines list of the '500 most expensive zip-codes' in the country.^[20] According to the list, the average household income was $199,061 and the average home price was over $752,000. Homes in Premium Point, a gated section of the city on Long Island Sound, are priced anywhere from $2 to $20 million. The three newest residential developments, 'Kensington Woods', 'The Greens at Cherry Lawn' and 'Riviera Shores', are all gated communities with single family homes priced from $2 million. With a population approaching 80,000 residents, New York State law dictates that the city provide an adequate amount of affordable housing units for the less fortunate. New Rochelle has historically met and surpassed state requirements, currently working to replace the existing Weyman Avenue Projects with more forward thinking, community centered townhouse-style housing units. By embracing the needs of the poor, New Rochelle sets a precedent for other suburban communities to follow. Neighboring towns including Mamaroneck, Larchmont and Scarsdale neglect to address such concerns, failing to meet the minimal affordable housing requirements set by the state. Popular consenus is that the presence of the poor precludes that of the middle-class and the wealthy. Considering the large number of working-class and affordable housing units found 'Downtown', the high property values prevalent throughout most of the city reflects the true economic diversity of New Rochelle. It is home to the financially disadvantaged and the very wealthy. One of 'the wealthiest people in the United States' according to Forbes Magazine was longtime New Rochelle resident and businessman Sidney Frank.

Communities[link]

Within the greater city borders are many established neighborhoods and subsections, several of which are larger in both size and population than neighboring towns of Larchmont, Bronxville and Pelham Manor. The public community areas most noted include: Bayberry, Beechmont, Bloomingdale Estates, Bonniecrest, Daisy Farms, Davenport Neck, Echo Manor, Forest Heights, Forest Knolls, French Ridge, Glen Island, Glenwood Lake, Heathcote, Lake Isle, Larchmont Woods, Lyncroft, Northfield, North Ridge, Paine Heights, Pinebrook, Premium Manor, Quaker Ridge, Residence Park, Rochelle Heights, Sans Souci, Scarsdale Downs, Shore Road, Sutton Manor, Vaneck Estates, Ward Acres, Wilmot Woods and Wykagyl. Premium Point, Kensington Woods and Cherry Lawn are gated neighborhoods accessible only by those immediate residents.

Government[link]

New Rochelle City Hall

Since 1932 New Rochelle has operated under a Council-Manager form of government. The City Manager is the chief administrative officer of the city selected to carry out the directives of the Council. The Manager monitors the city's fiscal condition and enforces its ordinances and laws. The City Manager is involved in the discussion of all matters coming before Council yet has no final vote. The City Council is the legislative body consisting of the Mayor and six council members. The Mayor serves as the presiding officer of the Council. Since 1993 the City has had six council districts, with one council member elected from and by each district. The Council functions to set policy, approve the annual budget, appoint the City Manager and City Clerk, and enact local laws, resolutions & ordinances.^[21]

Crime statistics[link]

According to the New Rochelle Police Department, New Rochelle is the safest city of its size in New York State and the fifth safest city of its size in the United States.^[22] The majority of crimes committed within New Rochelle are non-violent property crimes, including burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Property crime, on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 10, is 4 compared to the US average of 3. Violent crime (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) is 3, equal to the US average.^[23]

Emergency services[link]

Police[link]

NR police officer patrolling on a Segway makes a traffic stop

The Town of New Rochelle formed its first professional police department in 1885, 14 years before the city incorporated in 1899. The Department currently has 186 sworn officers and a total staff of more than 250. In 1993 the Department was certified as an accredited agency by the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council. Special programs include community oriented policing through the 'Police and Community Together' (PACT) program, harbor patrol, and a bicycle patrol.^[24]

Fire Department[link]

New Rochelle's Fire Department actively pursues code enforcement and fire prevention. By keeping buildings up to code, controlling illegal occupancies, monitoring the safety of living-areas and issuing licenses and permits, the department works to control the potential for dangerous situations. With five state-of-the-art facilities stationed throughout the city, the department is capable of handling fires, rescues, extrications, medical emergencies, hazardous material incidents and natural disasters. The NRFD operates a frontline fire apparatus fleet of five engines companies and two reserve engines, three truck companies and one reserve truck, one rescue company, two ambulances from Transcare New Rochelle EMS, and many other support units. The NRFD is known as the premiere fire department in the area because of its wide range of services and is frequently called on by nearby communities to assist in handling emergency situations. Unlike nearby communities that depend on volunteer fire and emergency medical resources, the city's emergency services are municipally funded.^{[citation needed]}

Medical[link]

Sound Shore Medical Center is a not-for-profit health care organization located in New Rochelle that treats over 85,000 patients annually and operates the only New York State Area Trauma Center in southern Westchester County.

Landmarks and attractions[link]

Overlooking Davids' Island

• Columbia Island - a small island (appx. 150 feet (46 m) square) situated between Davids' Island and Pea Island. Up until 1940 it was known as Little Pea Island. CBS purchased it and built a concrete foundation to support a transmitter building topped by a 410-foot (120 m) tall antenna tower for WCBS-AM.^[25][26] The transmitter remained in operation until the 1960s, when the station was moved to nearby High Island.
• Execution Rocks Lighthouse - centered in the middle of Long Island Sound, just south of Davids' Island.The structure was built in 1849 and includes a 55-foot (17 m) tall tower and the ‘keeper's house’. It is rumored that the lighthouse's site got its name before the American Revolutionary War when British colonial authorities executed people by chaining them to the rocks at low tide and allowing the rising water to drown them. In reality, the name was chosen to reflect the historically dangerous shipping area created by the rocks exposure during low tides.
• Huckleberry Island - a 10-acre (40,000 m²) island owned by the Huckleberry Indians, Inc., a club within the New York Athletic Club. The island is an important nesting site for waterbirds such as egrets and night herons.
  

  

  New Rochelle Welcome Sign on Kings Highway
• Leland Castle - a 19th century Gothic Revival castle built as the summer residence of Simeon Leland, a wealthy New York City hotel entrepreneur. It has since been acquired by the College of New Rochelle and is used as an art gallery available to the public.
• St. John's Wilmot Church - a historic Episcopal parish located in the northern end of the City at the intersection of North Avenue and Wilmot Road, formerly referred to as “Cooper's Corner”.
• Thomas Paine Historical Site - a historical nexus within the city, the site comprises: the country home of the American pamphleteer and Revolutionary War hero Thomas Paine, his burial site, monument, and a museum. Paine's Cottage was built in 1793 and is a National Historic Landmark. The Thomas Paine Memorial Building, built in 1925, houses the library and museum collection of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association. Also on the site is the Brewster Schoolhouse, one of the oldest structural relics in Westchester County.
• Trinity-St. Paul's Episcopal Church - added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. It is located at the northwest corner of Huguenot Street (also known as the Boston Post Road) and Division Street. This church represents the body of the majority group of New Rochelle's founding Huguenot French Calvanistic congregation that conformed to the liturgy of the established Church of England in June 1709. King George III gave Trinity its first charter in 1762. After the Revolutionary War, Trinity became a parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church of America.

Parks and recreation[link]

Bayside, New Rochelle, New York, by David Johnson, 1886

Waterfront[link]

The shoreline within the City of New Rochelle measures 2.7 miles (4.3 km), but due to many irregularities and off-shore islands, the actual length of the waterfront is 9.3 miles (15.0 km).^{[clarification needed]} The unusual coastal features have over the years earned it the nickname, "the Queen City of the Sound."^[27]

• Yacht, sailing and rowing clubs dot the coast on Long Island Sound and beach clubs line the shores of Davenport Neck. Beckwithe Point, The Greentree Country Club and The Surf Club are the largest of the private shore clubs, providing waterfront recreation to members during the summer season. The New York Athletic Club sits on Travers Island, located on the border of New Rochelle and Pelham Manor.
• Echo Bay Yacht Club and Huguenot Yacht Club are several well known, private yacht clubs in the city.
• New York Sailing School and New Rochelle Rowing Club each have histories dating back over 100 years.
• The City operates a large marina with 300 slips and 150 mooring spaces.

Parks[link]

Echo Bay

New Rochelle's 'Lower Harbor'

Five Islands park

The City has an impressive collection of parklands and nature preserves, with 102.5 acres (0.415 km²) of inland waters, 231.51 acres (0.9369 km²) of public park lands and 168 acres (0.68 km²) of park lets.

• Glen Island — In 1879 John H. Starin, a former U.S. Congressman and New York transportation king, bought five islands which he named 'Glen Island ' and created perhaps the first theme park open to the public. His 12 steamboats transported millions of New York residents and others to the attractions which included a zoo, a natural history museum, a railway, a German beer garden (around the castle-like structure which still stands today), a bathing beach, and a Chinese pagoda. Today the park is a 105-acre (0.42 km²) island property connected to the mainland by a drawbridge built in the 1920s. One of the main features of the park is its pristine, crescent shaped beach offering access to Long Island Sound.
• Five Islands Park is a series of islands connected by small footbridges and pathways, offers playground, sports, hiking and camping facilities for all residents to enjoy.
• Hudson Park encompasses 13 acres (0.053 km²) along the city's harbor front and includes a beach for residents, the city boathouse, greenhouses, the shore station of the United States Coast Guard and several yacht and rowing clubs. The park is traditionally accepted as the original landing place of the Huguenot settlers. A granite boulder with bronze tablets commemorates the event.
• Davids' Island, a 78-acre (320,000 m²) island of the coast of the city, is being transformed from a former American military base (Fort Slocum) into a park and environmental preserve. Beginning just after the Civil War, the island was a military base used to protect New York Harbors, during World War I it served as an army recruitment station and up until 1967, it maintained various ‘Cold War’ facilities. Today it is home to a variety of plants, birds, and animals. These include the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, and rare birds such as osprey and least terns. Davids Island also supports valuable wetlands, rare rocky intertidal areas, and sandy beaches. The waters surrounding the Island are home to Winter Flounder, Atlantic Herring, and Atlantic Silversides.
• Ward Acres, located in the North End, is a combination of untouched forest, wild lawns and meadows, acres of hiking, exercise trails and historic horse stables/cemeteries. In 2007, The Westchester County Department of Conservation produced a Natural Resource Management Plan in order to identify and protect the natural resource needs of the park. It encompasses 62 acres (250,000 m²), with the forests divided into four main sections, each distinct in both general characteristics and species presence. It's formed by a portion of a former private state that contained a horse farm, and by an old railroad right of way. It includes a 3-acre (12,000 m²) fenced-in dog run, and it is the only park in the City in which residents can walk a dog without a leash.^[28]
• The Leatherstocking Trail is a 2-mile (3.2 km) long, inter-municipal hiking trail situated between New Rochelle and Mamaroneck, eventually linking into Saxon Woods County Park. It is part of a larger "Colonial Greenway Trail" in which it connects to Twin Lakes/Nature Study and Saxon Woods parks.^[29]
• Sheldrake Lake which formerly served as a reservoir supplying the areas drinking water, is now a 60 acres (0.24 km²) park and nature conservancy promoting an increased understanding of the local ecology.
• Twin Lakes Park, combined with the adjacent Nature Study Woods comprise 220 acres (0.89 km²) of woods, marsh, lakes, ponds and some fields along the Hutchinson River in New Rochelle’s Northend. There are many foot trails weaving through woods, marshlands, fields and around two large lakes (formerly reservoirs).^[30]

Golf[link]

• Wykagyl Country Club is located in the Wykagyl section of New Rochelle on North Avenue just south of Quaker Ridge Road. Golfweek magazine ranks Wykagyl as one of America's Top 100 Classic Courses.
• Pelham Country Club, straddles the border of New Rochelle and Pelham Manor. The course is a mile from the Westchester, New York City border and Pelham Bay Park.

Tennis[link]

• New Rochelle Tennis Club located in Wykagyl is one of the oldest lawn-tennis organizations in the country.

Education[link]

First public school in New Rochelle

Jefferson Elementary

Public[link]

The city is served by the City School District of New Rochelle, which operates a public high school, two junior high schools and ten elementary schools. On seven separate occasions, the City's schools have received the prestigious Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education. New Rochelle High School is one of the most diverse high schools in the country; the student body represents over 60 different countries from around the world. The school offers over 240 courses including honors, research and advanced placement courses.

Libraries are operated by the New Rochelle Public Library System which is part of the county-wide Westchester Library System.

Private[link]

Primary and secondary[link]

• Hudson Montessori - private Montessori school in Wykagyl serving pre-kindergarten level through fifth grade.
• Iona Grammar - all-boys Catholic grammar school on Stratton Road serving grades one through eight.
• Iona Prep - all-boys Catholic school serving grades nine through 12.
• Mount Tom Day School - private day school serving pre-k level through second grade. The school is housed in the mansion of renowned 20th-century American artist and illustrator J.C. Leyendecker. The school bordered New Rochelle Academy, a prep school (N-12) which closed down in 1987.
• The Thornton Donovan School - co-ed preparatory school in Beechmont.
• The Ursuline School - all-girls Catholic school in Wykagyl serving grades six through 12.
• Salesian High School - all-boys Roman Catholic high school (grades nine through 12)
• Blessed Sacrament-St. Gabriel High School - coed Catholic High School in Downtown.

Higher education[link]

• The College of New Rochelle - The largest women's Catholic college in the United States, founded by the sisters of the Ursuline Order.
• Iona College - Catholic college founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers.
• Monroe College - provides professional, career oriented and business centered education.

Transportation[link]

Road[link]

Major highways include Interstate 95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway. Interstate 95 serves as the main route through New Rochelle with four exits directly serving the city. The Hutchinson River Parkway, which is designated for passenger vehicles only, runs through much of the city. Substantial congestion on the Parkway occurs in both directions during the morning and evening rush-hour.

The Boston Post Road, also known as Main Street in downtown New Rochelle, is used as a major artery during the morning and evening commute. Most traffic via the Post Road is short distance or fairly local, yet vehicles have utilized Route 1 during times of heavy congestion on I-95 as a re-route.

Railroad[link]

The city has a commuter railroad station served by Metro North as well as Amtrak.^[31]

Railroad history[link]

By 1848, the New York & New Haven opened their line along Long Island Sound. After the end of the Civil War, proposals for new railroads reached new levels. Banking that the city would continue to grow northward, the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway Company developed new lines of service to serve the large populations moving to the suburbs. Two main lines were built as part of the NYW&B; the Port Chester line and the White Plains line. While the populations of some communities served by the NYWB did grow between 1912 and 1937, the growth was not large enough or fast enough to provide sufficient business for the railroad, and service was discontinued on December 31, 1937.

Economy[link]

New Rochelle has been home to a variety of industries over the years, including: Thanhouser Film Studios, Terrytoons Studios, P.J. Tierney Diner Manufacturing (now DeRaffele Manufacturing Company), Flynn Burner Company, New York Seven Up (Joyce Beverages, Inc), RawlPlug, Inc., the Longines Symphonette Society, Conran's USA. Manufacturing and warehousing has declined since the 1990s as industrial land near both exits from Interstate 95 have been converted to "big box" retailer use. New Rochelle remains a center of business, home to the corporate headquarters of Sidney Frank Importing, Blimpies, and East River Savings Bank.

New Rochelle in media and fiction[link]

• In the early 20th century New Rochelle was home to one of the first movie studios in the country, Edwin Thanhouser's Thanhouser Film Corporation. Originally located on the corner of Warren and Grove Street, the company moved to Main Street near Echo Avenue after a devastating fire in 1913. The studio is noted for filming the first serial in motion pictures, named The Million Dollar Mystery,^[32] as well as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, an early film version of Robert Louis Stevenson's short story Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.^[33]
• Terrytoons animation studio was located in New Rochelle from 1928 to 1968. Its most popular characters include Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle.^[34]
• The song Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm from the Broadway show How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is about Rosemary's desire to become a trophy wife and live in a mansion in New Rochelle.^[35]
• The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers takes place in New Rochelle.^[36]
• George M. Cohan's song "Forty-five Minutes from Broadway" is about New Rochelle in the late 1890s.^[37] It still takes about forty-five minutes to travel to Broadway by train and foot from New Rochelle.
• Musical Give My Regards To Broadway references New Rochelle.^[38] and so does Guys and Dolls^{[citation needed]}
• The novel Ragtime was written by New Rochelle resident E. L. Doctorow and set in New Rochelle. It also became a successful Broadway show, and a major motion picture of the same name.^[39]
• The 1961-1966 TV hit The Dick Van Dyke Show starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore as Rob and Laura Petrie. The Petrie family lived on 148 Bonnie Meadow Road (a fictional address) in the North-end of the city.^[40]
• Peter DeRose wrote Deep Purple while sitting in his garden in New Rochelle.
• Robert Allen composed "Home For The Holidays" and the Johnny Mathis hit "Chances Are" in New Rochelle.
• Jerry Bock was a resident of New Rochelle when he wrote the musical Fiddler On The Roof.
• New Rochelle resident J. Fred Coots wrote Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, one of the biggest best sellers in American musical history.
• The classic 70's song "American Pie" was written by New Rochelle resident Don McLean.
• The film Catch Me If You Can is loosely based on the story Frank Abagnale, who grew up in New Rochelle in the 1960s.^[41][42]
• The 1986 horror film "Scream for Help" was shot in New Rochelle.^[43]
• The 1988 novel The Devil's Arithmetic was set in New Rochelle at the beginning of the book.
• Scenes in Goodfellas were filmed on Alfred Lane, off Quaker Ridge Road in the Pinebrook Heights neighborhood. The house of the parents of Henry Hill's eventual wife, Karen, is on Alfred Lane. Henry goes across the street and pistol whips the neighbor after the neighbor sexually attacked Karen.^[44]
• In the 1994 film City Slickers II, the main character Mitch Robbins and his wife Barbara live in New Rochelle, having moved there from Manhattan where they lived in the original film, City Slickers^[45]
• The 1996 romantic comedy Love Is All There Is was filmed at the Greentree Country Club on Davenport Neck.^[46]
• The Oscar-nominated Burt Reynolds film Starting Over includes a school carnival scene filmed at what is now known as the Hudson Montessori School on Quaker Ridge Road.^{[citation needed]}
• New Rochelle was one of the settings for the 1999 CBS science fiction television series Now and Again.^[47]
• Scenes in the movie Michael Clayton, released in 2007 and starring George Clooney, were filmed in New Rochelle.^{[citation needed]}
• The character James 'Spike' Thompson (Dexter Fletcher) in the ITV series Press Gang comes from New Rochelle, but lives in Norbridge, England.^{[citation needed]}
• Scenes of the movie Burn After Reading, starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, were filmed in Sutton Manor.^[48]
• The music video for the song "Dance, Dance" by the band Fall Out Boy takes place in the gymnasium of Salesian High School in New Rochelle.^[49][50]
• The 2005 novel The Midnight Oil, by Ken Knight, features New Rochelle as the home of the main character "Jonny Faster" who runs a porn film production company in the story.^{[citation needed]}
• Portions of Chasing the Green (2008), starring Jeremy London and Ryan Hurst, were filmed in the city.^[51]
• In the 5th episode of the 8th season of 24, the doctor lives in New Rochelle, on Brook Street.

Notable residents[link]

Sister city[link]

New Rochelle’s ‘sister city’ is La Rochelle, France, a city and commune of western France with a (population 78,000 in 2004). There has been a 'friendly relationship' between the two cities since 1910.^[52]

See also[link]

New York portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in New Rochelle, New York

References[link]

External links[link]

• New Rochelle official website
• New Rochelle Police Department
• Downtown New Rochelle

Cultural[link]

• City School District of New Rochelle
• New Rochelle Public Library
• New Rochelle Council on the Arts
• New Rochelle Art Association
• New Rochelle Opera

Media[link]

• Sound Town Report

	Eastchester	Scarsdale, White Plains	Harrison, Mamaroneck(village)
	Bronxville		Mamaroneck(town)
		'New Rochelle'    East
	Pelham Manor, Pelham	Long Island Sound	Larchmont

v t e New Rochelle, New York History First Presbyterian Church Fort Slocum Jacob Leisler Knickerbocker Building Leland Castle Lispenard-Rodman-Davenport House New York, Westchester and Boston Railway Pioneer Building St. John's Wilmot Church Thomas Paine Cottage Thomas Paine National Historical Association Trinity-St. Paul's Church Wildcliff Areas Bonnie Crest Wykagyl Downtown Metro-North station New Roc City Post Office Sound Shore Medical Center Trump Plaza WVOX Education City School District of New Rochelle New Rochelle High School College of New Rochelle Iona College Iona Preparatory School Salesian High School The Ursuline School Thornton-Donovan School Recreation City Park Stadium Glen Island Park Mazzella Field Hynes Center New York Athletic Club Wykagyl Country Club Islands Columbia Island Davids' Island Execution Rocks Huckleberry Island Neptune Island The Pelham Islands The arts Forty-five Minutes from Broadway The Dick Van Dyke Show Thanhouser Company Terrytoons

v t e Municipalities and communities of Westchester County, New York, United States County seat: White Plains Cities Mount Vernon New Rochelle Peekskill Rye White Plains Yonkers Towns Bedford Cortlandt Eastchester Greenburgh Harrison Lewisboro Mamaroneck Mount Kisco Mount Pleasant New Castle North Castle North Salem Ossining Pelham Pound Ridge Rye Scarsdale Somers Yorktown Villages Ardsley Briarcliff Manor Bronxville Buchanan Croton-on-Hudson Dobbs Ferry Elmsford Harrison Hastings-on-Hudson Irvington Larchmont Mamaroneck Mount Kisco Ossining Pelham Pelham Manor Pleasantville Port Chester Rye Brook Scarsdale Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Tuckahoe CDPs Armonk Bedford (Bedford Village) Chappaqua Crompond Crugers Eastchester Fairview Golden's Bridge Greenville Hartsdale Hawthorne Heritage Hills Jefferson Valley Lake Mohegan Lincolndale Peach Lake‡ Scotts Corners Shenorock Shrub Oak Thornwood Valhalla Verplanck Yorktown Heights Other hamlets Banksville Bedford Corners Bedford Hills Cortlandt Manor Granite Springs Katonah Millwood Montrose Pocantico Hills Purchase South Salem Waccabuc Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr.
Head of the Nation of Islam
Incumbent
Assumed office 1978/1981
Preceded by	Warith Deen Mohammed
Personal details
Born	Louis Eugene Wolcott (1933-05-11) May 11, 1933 (age 79) The Bronx, New York City New York, United States
Nationality	American
Spouse(s)	Khadijah Farrakhan
Relations	Akbar Muhammad, Jabir Herbert Muhammad
Alma mater	English High School of Boston
Religion	Nation of Islam

Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. (born Louis Eugene Wolcott; May 11, 1933, and formerly known as Louis X) is the leader of the syncretic and mainly African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam (NOI). He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of the Nation of Islam. After Warith Deen Muhammad disbanded the NOI and started the orthodox Islamic group American Society of Muslims, Farrakhan started rebuilding the NOI. In 1981 he revived the name Nation of Islam for his organization, previously known as Final Call, regaining many of the Nation of Islam's National properties including the NOI National Headquarters Mosque Maryam, reopening over 130 NOI mosques in America and the world. The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Farrakhan as an antisemite.^[1]

Farrakhan is a black religious and social leader and a critic of the United States government on many issues. Farrakhan has been both praised and widely criticized for his often controversial political views and outspoken rhetorical style. In October 1995, he organized and led the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., calling on black men to renew their commitments to their families and communities. Due to health issues, in 2007, Farrakhan reduced his responsibilities with the NOI.^[2]

Early life and education[link]

Part of a series on the
Nation of Islam
Leaders
Wallace Fard Muhammad Elijah Muhammad · Malcolm X Warith Deen Mohammed Louis Farrakhan Tynetta Muhammad Mustapha Farrakhan Ishmael Muhammad Ava Muhammad
History and beliefs
Saviours' Day Nation of Islam and antisemitism Tribe of Shabazz · Yakub Million Man March
Publications
A Torchlight for America The Final Call How to Eat to Live Message to the Blackman in America Muhammad Speaks
Subsidiaries and offshoots
American Society of Muslims Fruit of Islam The Nation of Gods and Earths New Black Panther Party United Nation of Islam Your Black Muslim Bakery
v t e

Farrakhan was born Louis Eugene Wolcott (also mistakenly spelled Walcott)^[3] in The Bronx, New York, the younger of two sons of Sarah Mae Manning (16 January 1900 – 18 November 1988) and Percival Clark, immigrants from the Caribbean islands. His mother was born in Saint Kitts and Nevis. His father was a Jamaican native and worked as a taxicab driver. After Louis' father died in 1936, the Wolcott family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where they settled in the West Indian neighborhood of the Roxbury area.^{[citation needed]}

Starting at the age of six, Wolcott received rigorous training in the violin.^[3] He received his first violin at the age of six, and by time he was 13 years old, he had played with the Boston College Orchestra, and the Boston Civic Symphony.^{[citation needed]} A year later, he went on to win national competitions. In 1946, he was one of the first black performers to appear on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour,^[3] where he also won an award. He and his family were active members of the Episcopal St. Cyprian's Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts.^{[citation needed]}

Wolcott attended the prestigious Boston Latin School, and later the English High School, from which he graduated.^[4] He completed three years of college at Winston-Salem Teachers College, where he had a track scholarship.^[5]

Marriage and family[link]

Wolcott was married to Betsy Ross while he was in college. (She later took the name Khadijah Farrakhan). She still lived in Boston, Massachusetts, and was pregnant with their child. Due to complications from the pregnancy, Wolcott dropped out after completing his junior year of college to devote time to her and their child.

Career[link]

In the 1950s, Wolcott started his professional music career by recording several calypso albums as a singer under the name "The Charmer". He also performed on tour. In February 1955, using part of his middle name, Eugene, "Calypso Gene" was headlining a show in Chicago, Illinois, entitled "Calypso Follies." One of his songs was on the top 100 Billboard Chart for five years in a row. There he first came in contact with the teachings of the Nation of Islam (NOI) through Rodney Smith, a friend and saxophonist from Boston, Massachusetts. Wolcott and his wife Betsy were invited to the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day address by Elijah Muhammad. Prior to going to Saviours' Day, due to then-Minister Malcolm X's popularity in the media, Wolcott had never heard of Elijah Muhammad, and like many outside of the Nation of Islam, Wolcott thought that Malcolm X was the leader of the Nation of Islam.^{[citation needed]}

In 1955, Wolcott fulfilled the requirements to be a registered Muslim/registered believer/registered laborer. He memorized and recited verbatim the 10 questions and answers of the NOI's Student Enrollment. He then wrote a Saviour's Letter that must be sent to the NOI's headquarters in Chicago. The Saviour's Letter must be copied verbatim, and have the identical handwriting of the Nation of Islam's founder, Wallace Fard Muhammad. After having the Saviour's Letter reviewed, and approved by the NOI's headquarters in Chicago in July 1955, Wolcott received a letter of approval from the Nation of Islam acknowledging his official membership as a registered Muslim/registered believer/registered laborer in the NOI. As a result, he received his "X." The "X" was considered an algebraic placeholder, used to indicate that Nation of Islam's members original African family names had been lost. They acknowledged European surnames were slave names, often assigned by the slaveowners to mark their ownership. Members of the NOI used the "X" while waiting for their Islamic names, which some NOI members received later in their conversion.^[6] Hence, Louis Wolcott became Louis X. Elijah Muhammad then replaced his "X" with the "holy name" Farrakhan, an Arabic name meaning "charmer".

The summer after Louis' conversion, Elijah Muhammad stated that all musicians in the NOI had to choose between music and the Nation of Islam.^[3] Louis X did so only after performing one final event at the Nevel Country Club.^{[citation needed]}

Louis X quickly rose through the ranks. After only nine months of being a registered Muslim in the NOI and a member of Muhammad's Temple of Islam in Boston, where Malcolm X was the minister, the former calypso-singer turned Muslim became his assistant minister. Eventually he became the official minister after Elijah Muhammad transferred Malcolm X to Muhammad's Temple of Islam No. 7 on West 116th St. in Harlem, New York City. Today the mosque is a Sunni Muslim masjid (mosque) named in honor of Malcolm X, Masjid Malcolm Shabazz. Louis X continued to be mentored by Malcolm X, until his assassination in 1965. After Malcolm X's dismissal from the NOI, and hajj, an Arabic word meaning pilgrimage, to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, several "revolving ministers," meaning ministers who took turns preaching until an official minister was secured at a particular temple, were used at Muhammad's Temple of Islam No. 7 in Harlem. This occurred before and after Malcolm's death. The day that Malcolm X died in Harlem, Farrakhan happened to be in Newark, New Jersey on rotation, 45 minutes away from where Malcolm X was assassinated. After Malcolm X's death in 1965, Elijah Muhammad appointed Farrakhan to the two prominent positions that his predecessor, Malcolm X held before being dismissed from the NOI. Farrakhan became the national spokesman/national representative of the NOI until Elijah Muhammad's death in 1975 (a position Farrakhan still calls himself today). He was also appointed in 1965 minister of the influential Harlem Mosque (Temple), where he served from 1965 to 1975.^{[citation needed]}

Considered by many to be a former (and by some, a present) competitor to Malcolm X, Farrakhan made numerous incendiary statements about him, contributing to what was called a "climate of vilification."^[7] This may have contributed to what ultimately led to the assassination of Malcolm X at a time when he was beginning to distance himself from the NOI after his hajj to Mecca.^[7] Three men from a Newark, New Jersey, NOI mosque were convicted of the killing and served prison sentences.^{[citation needed]} Farrakhan was the keynote speaker at the Newark temple the same day that Malcolm X was assassinated.

Leadership[link]

Warith Deen Mohammed, the seventh son of Elijah and Clara Muhammad, was declared the new leader of the Nation of Islam at the annual Saviour's Day Convention in February 1975, a day after his father died. He made substantial changes to the organization in the late 1970s, taking most members into a closer relationship with traditional (orthodox) Sunni Islam, and renaming the group, Bilalian, and eventually the American Society of Muslims, to indicate the apparent change. He rejected the deification of the founder Wallace D. Fard as Allah in person, the mahdi of the Holy Qur'an and messiah of the Bible, welcomed white worshippers who were once considered devils and enemies in the NOI as equal brothers and friends. In the beginning of these changes, Chief Min. Warith Deen Mohammed gave some Caucasians X's, and extended efforts at inter-religious cooperation and outreach to Christians and Jews.^{[citation needed]} Changing his position and title from Chief Minister Wallace Muhammad to Imam Warith huddin Mohammad, and finally Imam Warith Al-Deen Mohammed, he was responsible for the most massive conversion of over 2,000,000 members of the Nation of Islam to traditional Islam without bloodshed in the United States of America.

Farrakhan joined Imam Warith Al-Deen Mohammed who he followed, and eventually became a Sunni Imam under him for 3 1/2 years from 1975-1978. Imam Mohammed gave Imam Farrakhan two attributes of Allah as his middle names, Abdul-Haleem. In 1978, Imam Farrakhan distanced himself from Mohammed's movement. In a 1990 interview with Emerge magazine, Farrakhan said that he had become disillusioned and decided to "quietly walk away" rather than cause a schism among the members.^{[citation needed]} In 1978, Farrakhan and a small number of supporters decided to rebuild what they considered the original Nation of Islam upon the foundations established by Wallace Fard Muhammad, and Elijah Muhammad. This was done without publicly stating the intent.^{[citation needed]}

In 1979, Farrakhan's group founded a weekly newspaper entitled The Final Call, Inc. intended to be similar to the original Muhammad Speaks Newspaper that Malcolm X claims to have started.^[8] It is a mouthpiece for Farrakhan's statements. In 1981, Farrakhan and his supporters held their first Saviour's Day convention in Chicago, Illinois, and took back the name of the Nation of Islam. The event was similar to the earlier Nation's celebrations, last held in Chicago on February 26, 1975. At the convention's keynote address, Farrakhan announced his attempt to restore the Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad's teachings.^[9]

In October 1989, at a press conference in Washington, DC, Farrakhan described a 1985 vision which he had in the country of Mexico. He was carried up to "a Wheel, or what you call an unidentified flying object", as in the Bible's Book of Ezekiel. During this vision, he heard the voice of Elijah Muhammad, the long-time leader of the Nation of Islam (1934–1975).^[10]

On January 12, 1995, Malcolm X's daughter Qubilah Shabazz was arrested for conspiracy to assassinate Farrakhan. According to Stanford University historian Clayborne Carson, "[her family] resented Farrakhan and had good reason to because he was one of those in the Nation responsible for the climate of vilification that resulted in Malcolm X's assassination".^[7] Some critics later alleged that the FBI had used paid informant Michael Fitzpatrick to frame Shabazz, who was four years old when her father was killed.^[11] Nearly four months later, on the first of May, federal prosecutors dropped their case against Shabazz.^{[citation needed]}

That year in October, Farrakhan convened a broad coalition of one-million men in Washington, D.C., for the Million Man March. Farrakhan and other speakers called for black men to renew their commitments to their families and communities. The event was organized by a wide variety of civil rights and religious organizations and drew men and their sons from across the United States of America. While Farrakhan was the keynote speaker, many other distinguished African American intellectuals addressed the throng including: Maya Angelou; Rosa Parks; Martin Luther King III, Cornel West, Jesse Jackson and Benjamin Chavis. The count however fell far below the hoped-for numbers. The National Parks Service estimated that approximately 440,000 were in attendance [3]. In 2005, together with other prominent African Americans such as the New Black Panther Party leader Malik Zulu Shabazz, the activist Al Sharpton, Addis Daniel and others, Farrakhan marked the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March by holding a second gathering, the Millions More Movement, October 14–17 in Washington D.C.^{[citation needed]}

Recent activity[link]

• 2005, a Black Entertainment Television (BET) poll voted Farrakhan the 'Person of the Year'.^[12]

• 2006, an AP-AOL "Black Voices" poll voted Farrakhan the fifth-most important black leader, with 4 percent of the vote.^[13]

Hurricane Katrina[link]

In comments in 2005, Farrakhan stated that there was a 25-foot (7.6 m) hole under one of the key levees that failed in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He implied that the levee's destruction was a deliberate attempt to wipe out the population of the largely black sections within the city. Farrakhan later said that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin told him of the crater during a meeting in Dallas, Texas.^[14] Farrakhan further claimed that the fact the levee broke the day after Hurricane Katrina is proof that the destruction of the levee was not a natural occurrence. Farrakhan has raised additional questions and has called for federal investigations into the source of the levee break.^[15][16] He also asserted that the hurricane was "God's way of punishing America for its warmongering and racism".^[17]

Experts including the Independent Levee Investigation Team (ILIT) from the University of California, Berkeley have countered his accusations. The report from the ILIT said "The findings of this panel are that the overtopping of the levees by flood waters, the often sub-standard materials used to shore up the levees, and the age of the levees contributed to these "scour holes" found at many of the sites of levee breaks after the hurricane."^[18]

Former support for Barack Obama[link]

In 2008, Farrakhan publicly supported then-Senator Barack Obama who was campaigning at the time to become the president of the United States of America, at the same time criticizing the United States' problems.^[19][20][21]

The Obama campaign quickly responded to convey his distance from the minister. "Senator Obama has been clear in his objections to Farrakhan's past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister's support," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.^[19] Obama "rejected and denounced" Farrakhan's support during an NBC presidential candidate debate.

Conservative internet sites such as World Net Daily reported that during his February 24, 2008, "Saviours Day" speech Farrakhan had called Obama "the Messiah".^[22] Quoting in context, Farrakhan had said, "Sen. Obama is not the Messiah for sure, but anytime, he gives you a sign of uniting races, ethnic groups, ideologies, religions and makes people feel a sense of oneness, that’s not necessarily Satan’s work, that is I believe the work of God."^[23]

Following the 2008 presidential election, Farrakhan explained, during a BET television interview, that he was "careful" to never endorse Obama during his campaign. "I talked about him — but, in very beautiful and glowing terms, stopping short of endorsing him. And unfortunately, or fortunately, however we look at it, the media said I 'endorsed' him, so he renounced my so-called endorsement and support. But that didn’t stop me from supporting him."^[24]

As of 2012, Farrakhan no longer supports Obama, whom he has since called the "first Jewish president", due to Obama's support for the 2011 military intervention in Libya, which Farrakhan strongly opposes due to his own support for Muammar al-Gaddafi.^[25] At a 31 March 2011 press conference held at the Mosque Maryam, Farrakhan warned that the United States could be "facing a major earthquake as part of God’s divine judgment against the country for her evil".^[26]

Health problems[link]

Farrakhan announced that he was seriously ill in a September 11, 2006, letter to his staff, Nation of Islam members and supporters. The letter, published in The Final Call newspaper, said that doctors in Cuba had discovered a peptic ulcer. According to the letter subsequent infections caused Farrakhan to lose 35 pounds, and he urged the Nation of Islam leadership to carry on while he recovered.^[27]

Farrakhan was released from his five-week hospital stay on January 28, 2007, after major abdominal surgery. The operation was performed to correct damage caused by side effects of a radioactive "seed" implantation procedure that he received years earlier to successfully treat prostate cancer.^[28]

Following his hospital stay, Farrakhan released a "Message of Appreciation" to supporters and well wishers^[29] and weeks later delivered the keynote address at the Nation of Islam's annual convention in Detroit.^[30]

Criticism and controversy[link]

Farrakhan has been the center of much controversy with critics saying that his views and comments are antisemitic, racist or homophobic.^[31] Farrakhan has categorically denied these charges^[32] and stated that much of America's perception of him has been shaped by media.^[33][34] This defense is echoed by religion scholar and pro-Palestinian activist Mattias Gardell^[34] who argues that, when considered in the context of Farrakhan's typically lengthy lectures, many of Farrakhan's controversial comments take on a more nuanced meaning that cannot be conveyed in a sound bite.

Malcolm X's death[link]

Many, including Malcolm X's family, have accused Louis Farrakhan of being involved in the plot to assassinate Malcolm X.^{[35][36][37][38]} For many years, Betty Shabazz, the wife of Malcolm X, harbored resentment toward the Nation of Islam—and Farrakhan in particular—for what she felt was their role in the assassination of her husband.^[39] In a heated 1993 speech, Farrakhan seemed to boast of the assassination:

We don't give a damn about no white man law if you attack what we love. And frankly, it ain't none of your business. What do you got to say about it? Did you teach Malcolm? Did you make Malcolm? Did you clean up Malcolm? Did you put Malcolm out before the world? Was Malcolm your traitor or ours? And if we dealt with him like a nation deals with a traitor, what the hell business is it of yours? You just shut your mouth, and stay out of it. Because in the future, we gonna become a nation. And a nation gotta be able to deal with traitors and cutthroats and turncoats. The white man deals with his. The Jews deal with theirs.^[40][41][42]

During a 1994 interview, Gabe Pressman asked Shabazz whether Farrakhan "had anything to do" with Malcolm X's death. She replied: "Of course, yes. Nobody kept it a secret. It was a badge of honor. Everybody talked about it, yes."^[43] In January 1995, Qubilah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, was charged with trying to hire an assassin to kill Farrakhan in retaliation for the murder of her father, whom she long believed was responsible for it.^[44]

In a 60 Minutes interview that aired during May 2000, Farrakhan stated that some of the things he said may have led to the assassination of Malcolm X. "I may have been complicit in words that I spoke", he said. "I acknowledge that and regret that any word that I have said caused the loss of life of a human being."^[45] A few days later Farrakhan denied that he "ordered the assassination" of Malcolm X, although he again acknowledged that he "created the atmosphere that ultimately led to Malcolm X's assassination."^[46]

Antisemitism[link]

Many of Farrakhan's comments have been deemed antisemitic by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.^[47][48]

Speaking at the Mosque Maryam in Chicago, Farrakhan stated: "Do you know some of these satanic Jews have taken over BET? They got BET. They got our hair product people. They got Motown. Everything that we built, THEY got it. But the mind of Satan now is running the record industry. Running the movie industry. Running television."^[49]

Jewish distributors[link]

Farrakhan has alleged that Jewish distributors blocked a major urban economic renewal initiative in 1985 he had championed which was dubbed "P.O.W.E.R." for People Organized Working for Economic Rebirth. The initiative called for a joint enterprise of businesses and organizations, owned or run by Black people, to produce and distribute a line of cosmetics and toiletries sold under the Clean & Fresh (now defunct) label. Major haircare companies, including Johnson Products Co., backed out of the initiative fearing it could lead to accusations of anti-Semitism.^[50] Johnson Products owner George E. Johnson, Sr. maintained that his company's distributors told him that any dealings with Farrakhan's P.O.W.E.R. project would lead to having his own products boycotted. "We knew we could not offend our distribution channels," a Johnson spokesman Dorothy McConner said. "When I saw that," Farrakhan said, "I recognized that the Blackman will never be free until we address the relationship between Blacks and Jews."^[51]

"Gutter religion" Accusations[link]

In 1984, after returning from a visit to Libya Farrakhan delivered a sermon that was recorded by a Chicago Sun Times reporter. A transcript from part of the sermon was published in the New York Times:

Toward the end of that portion of his speech that was recorded, Mr. Farrakhan said: "Now that nation called Israel never has had any peace in 40 years and she will never have any peace because there can be no peace structured on injustice, thievery, lying and deceit and using the name of God to shield your dirty religion under His holy and righteous name."^[52]

Farrakhan has repeatedly denied referring to Judaism as a "gutter religion" explaining that he was instead referring to the Israeli Government's use of Judaism as a political tool. In a June 18, 1997, letter to a former Wall Street Journal editor Jude Wanniski he stated:

Countless times over the years I have explained that I never referred to Judaism as a gutter religion, but, clearly referred to the machinations of those who hide behind the shield of Judaism while using unjust political means to achieve their objectives. This was distilled in the New York tabloids and other media saying, 'Farrakhan calls Judaism a gutter religion.'

As a Muslim, I revere Abraham, Moses, and all the Prophets whom Allah (God) sent to the children of Israel. I believe in the scriptures brought by these Prophets and the Laws of Allah (God) as expressed in the Torah. I would never refer to the Revealed Word of Allah (God) — the basis of Jewish Faith — as 'dirty' or 'gutter.' You know, Jude, as well as I, that the Revealed Word of Allah (God) comes as a Message from Allah (God) to purify us from our evil that has divided us and caused us to fall into the gutter.

Over the centuries, the evils of Christians, Jews and Muslims have dirtied their respective religions. True Faith in the laws and Teaching of Abraham, Jesus and Muhammad is not dirty, but, practices in the name of these religions can be unclean and can cause people to look upon the misrepresented religion as being unclean.^[53]

"Black Hitler" characterization[link]

In response to Farrakhan's speech, Nathan Pearlmutter, then Chair of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of B'nai B'rith, referred to Farrakhan as the new "Black Hitler" and Village Voice journalist Nat Hentoff also characterized the NOI leader as a "Black Hitler" while a guest on a New York radio talk-show.

In response, Farrakhan announced during a March 11, 1984, speech broadcast on a Chicago radio station:

So I said to the members of the press, 'Why won't you go and look into what we are saying about the threats on Reverend Jackson's life?' Here the Jews don't like Farrakhan and so they call me 'Hitler'. Well that's a good name. Hitler was a very great man. He wasn't great for me as a Black man but he was a great German and he rose Germany up from the ashes of her defeat by the united force of all of Europe and America after the First World War. Yet Hitler took Germany from the ashes and rose her up and made her the greatest fighting machine of the twentieth century, brothers and sisters, and even though Europe and America had deciphered the code that Hitler was using to speak to his chiefs of staff, they still had trouble defeating Hitler even after knowing his plans in advance. Now I'm not proud of Hitler's evil toward Jewish people, but that's a matter of record. He rose Germany up from nothing. Well, in a sense you could say there is a similarity in that we are rising our people up from nothing, but don't compare me with your wicked killers.^[54][55]

Gulf war prophecy[link]

He prophesied that the First Gulf War would be the "War of Armageddon which is the final war."^[56]

H1N1 Vaccine Conspiracy Theory[link]

On October 21, 2009, Farrakhan told an audience in Memphis that he believes the H1N1 flu vaccine was developed to depopulate the earth. During a gathering to observe the Nation of Islam's Holy Day of Atonement, which also marked the 14th anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Farrakhan as saying:

The Earth can't take 6.5 billion people. The popular belief of some is "We just can't feed that many. So what are you going to do? Kill as many as you can. We have to develop a science that kills them and makes it look as though they died from some disease.^[57]

Praise of President Robert Mugabe[link]

In 2002, Louis Farrakhan went to Zimbabwe in support of President Robert Mugabe's intentions to enforce proposed redistribution of white-owned land and property. Farrakhan said he was in "full support" of Mugabe's policies "as it was aimed at correcting a historical injustice".^[58]

Accepted support from Moammar Gadhafi[link]

According to the Associated Press, Farrakhan called the former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi a friend and Muslim brother who's lent the Nation of Islam movement $8 million over the years.^[59] Farrakhan explained, "I love Moammar Gadhafi, and I love our president. It grieves me to see my brother president set a policy that would remove this man not only from power, but from the earth."^[60] According to the Associated Press, Farrakhan portrayed Gadhafi as a fellow revolutionary and longtime friend to the Nation of Islam, which reportedly used $3 million it borrowed from Libya in the 1970s to acquire the building and land which formerly housed the St. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church on Chicago's South Side.^[60] Years later, a $5 million loan was used to pay back taxes and costs for the home of the movement's former leader Elijah Muhammad.^[60] Despite Gadhafi's connection to the Lockerbie Bombing, Farrakhan said, "I don't care what Gadhafi has done wrong, he is not the 'mad dog of the Middle East.'"^[60]

Belief in UFOs[link]

In an interview Farrakhan claimed the existence of a ship he calls The Wheel which houses weapons capable of defeating all weapons on earth. He claims that many call UFOs The Wheel, or what Elijah Muhammad called "The Mother Plane." Farrakhan also alleges government conspiracy in covering up reports on these sightings.^[61] In an interview with Jamie Maussan on April 11, 2011, he claimed that The Wheel would make itself clear to the population of earth in a matter of "days".^[62]

Farrakhan and classical music[link]

When Farrakhan first joined the NOI he was asked by Elijah Muhammad to put aside his musical career as a violinist. After 42 years, Farrakhan decided to take up the violin once more primarily due to the urging of prominent classical musician Sylvia Olden Lee.^{[citation needed]}

On April 17, 1993, Farrakhan made his return concert debut with performances of the Violin Concerto in E Minor by Felix Mendelssohn. Farrakhan intimated that his performance of a concerto by a Jewish composer was, in part, an effort to heal a rift between him and the Jewish community.^[63] The New York Times music critic Bernard Holland reported that Farrakhan's performance was somewhat flawed due to years of neglect "nonetheless Mr. Farrakhan's sound is that of the authentic player. It is wide, deep and full of the energy that makes the violin gleam."^[63] Farrakhan has gone on to perform the Violin Concerto of Ludwig van Beethoven and has announced plans to perform those of Tchaikovsky and Brahms.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Muhammad, Jabril (2006). Closing The Gap: Inner Views of the Heart, Mind & Soul of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. FCN Publishing Co. ISBN 978-1-929594-99-3. 
• Gardell, Mattias (1996). In the Name of Elijah Mohammed: Louis Farrakhan and The Nation of Islam. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-1845-3. 
• Farrakhan, Louis (1993). A Torchlight for America. FCN Publishing Co. ISBN 0-9637642-4-1. 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Louis Farrakhan

• Nation of Islam's Official Louis Farrakhan Bio Sketch
• Final Call Newspaper, founded by Louis Farrakhan
• Louis Farrakhan's weekly news column
• Farrakhan Speaks Podcast
• Malcolm X Reloaded Podcast
• Nation of Islam's Women Committed to the Truth -Not a pro Louis Farrakhan site. They are critical of his leadership of the NOI
• Minister Farrakhan's Letter to President George W. Bush
• Tim Russert interview
• Islam or Farrakhanism: What Does the Nation of Islam Believe?
• "Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad" for the WGBH series, Say Brother
• Farrakhan in His Own Words A selection of quotes from Farrakhan's speeches prepared by the Anti-Defamation League
• 2006 Friends of Mankind Award
• My walk with Farrakhan testimony
• 1999 Village Voice article outlining NOI leadership
• Louis Farrakhan at the Internet Movie Database

Farrakhan videos[link]

• Video collection on Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam (NOI), and the conflict between Blacks and Jews
• March 2006 Havana, Cuba Press Conference
• May, 2004 Washington, D.C. Press Conference on U.S. Government's War on Terrorism
• April, 2002 Press Conference on Arab, Muslim/Israeli Conflict
• Let Us Make Man Part I – africanconnections.com – Technical Note: playback requires Flash 10 Player
• Let Us Make Man Part II – africanconnections.com – Technical Note: playback requires Flash 10 Player
• BBC Video
• FOX News Interview on Millions More Movement
• Farrakhan Webcast: The Murder of Malcolm X
• Mike Wallace interview on CBS with Farrakhan and Atallah Shabazz
• Birth of a nation