In October 1998, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan returned to Washington D.C. on the third anniversary of the Million Man March. In this video, Farrakhan offers his view of the current moral state of the nation, calling America a "sin sick" country in which all races have need to repent, and seeking redemption in a "holy day of atonement." The bulk of the program is a three and a half hour speech that is either a tour de force or an endurance contest, depending on the viewer's opinion of Farrakhan. The man is a dynamic speaker, tailoring his message to his multiracial audience with smiles, humor, professions of humility, eloquence, and of course, the fiery rhetoric which is his trademark. Farrakhan makes numerous references to 1998's impeachment crisis, citing it as an example of America's moral decline. In the wake of the recent school shootings, much of his talk about the need for values seems eerily prescient. Needless to say, however, many viewers (if they sit through the entire tape) will find plenty to dispute, particularly Farrakhan's copious flattery of D.C. mayor Marion Barry, who has a seat of honor near the Minister. The video's last thirty minutes shows Farrakhan easily answering questions from the sympathetic audience. While academic African-American collections will probably want this for archival purposes, most libraries should wait for a more comprehensive portrait with a more audience friendly format. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan
(1998) 2 videocassettes. 240 min. $29.95. The Final Call (dist. by Tapeworm Video). PPR. Color cover. Vol. 14, Issue 5
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan
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