Remembering Minister Abdul Akbar Muhammad: World Traveler and Historian
Minister Akbar Minister Louis Farrakhan
As a columnist, I have met and interviewed many celebrities. In paying tribute to Minister Akbar Minister Louis Farrakhan stated the following in the Final Call newspaper: “A great tree has fallen as the African proverb says with the passing of the man who gave more than six decades of dedicated service to the struggle and rise of our people. Minister Akbar, affectionately known as Brother Akbar passed away on March 17, 2025. He was 83-years-old. He was a companion and friend. His travels carried him to over 180 nations. He met with people from many walks of life including heads of state, prime ministers and dignitaries. He connected with people. Connecting was his gift.” To read the entire story of the tribute to Minister Akbar, you can read it in the Final Call newspaper dated March 31, 2025. My condolences to the friends and family of Minister Abdul Akbar Muhammad. May he rest in Power and Peace., the International Representative for the Nation of Islam, was one of them. He passed away on March 17, 2025, after a long illness. Minister Akbar Muhammad was a longtime member of the Nation of Islam and Representative of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan for over five decades, as he traveled throughout the world. When I was reading about his passing recently, I remembered that he came to Buffalo about seven years ago, and I covered his visit for the Criterion Newspaper. He spoke on Sunday, September 9, 2018, at the CAO Rafi Greene Resource Center, at that time, located at 1423 Fillmore Avenue. Many people came out to hear Akbar Muhammad; the International Representative of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan speak.
While in the Western New York area, Brother Akbar spoke also in Rochester, New York on Saturday, September 8th at the New African Cultural Center, located at 336 Arnette Blvd. It was a great event with many people in attendance. Brother Akbar was a historian for African History, and he traveled throughout the African Diaspora. He returned with great information and shared it with the African American community. This columnist met Brother Akbar many years ago when he spoke at the old location of Mosque #23 at 5 Walden Avenue. I had the opportunity to speak to him. At the time I purchased several pieces of African sculpture and artwork from him and displayed them in my classroom. I wanted my students to see the beauty of African Art. These sculptures were also exhibited in the African American Curriculum Center at Campus West. They appeared in a Buffalo News article about my work in the Center. The primary goal of the African American Center was to introduce students and teachers, and parents to the great history of Africa. These artifacts were a great help in doing this work.
Brother Akbar spoke of his invitation to attend the trade and investment conference in Liberia, West Africa. He stated that he was asked to reach out to retired teachers, farmers, and businesspeople, who would be willing to travel to Africa, especially to look into the opportunities in Liberia. During his presentation, Akbar gave the history of Liberia and the great wealth of the country—rubber, gold, diamonds, bauxite—the land just waiting to be developed. Liberia has been rocked with war, economic hardships, and political upheaval. Many of my readers might remember the series of articles that I did on the history of Liberia, a country settled by former slaves. These slaves chose independence over enslavement. Their story needs to be told.
Brother Akbar was also here to promote his new book entitled: Africa and the World: Revisited. This book is a tremendous account of his many travels throughout Africa. He told these stories in a form that is easy to read. The color photos in the book document the heads of state and leaders who he met in his travels in Africa. It is more than a book of facts; it is a journey of African struggle, but at the same time it tells of the triumphs of this continent. It is a must read for students of history, who want to go beyond the headlines, and meet the people who have made Africa strong enough to withstand the problems that it has faced over the years. The advertisement for the book stated the following: It features insight and analysis. This comprehensive collection of articles spanned over a decade of Akbar Muhammad’s work across the African continent.
In paying tribute to Minister Akbar Minister Louis Farrakhan stated the following in the Final Call newspaper: “A great tree has fallen as the African proverb says with the passing of the man who gave more than six decades of dedicated service to the struggle and rise of our people. Minister Akbar, affectionately known as Brother Akbar passed away on March 17, 2025. He was 83-years-old. He was a companion and friend. His travels carried him to over 180 nations. He met with people from many walks of life including heads of state, prime ministers and dignitaries. He connected with people. Connecting was his gift.” To read the entire story of the tribute to Minister Akbar, you can read it in the Final Call newspaper dated March 31, 2025. My condolences to the friends and family of Minister Adbul Akbar Muhammad. May he rest in Power and Peace.