--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We followed the Honorable Elijah…" description: "\"We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man, Malcolm X, when the whites..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/muhammad-ali-386_black_we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohamme_63614.jpg" --- # We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the… ![“We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man, Malcolm X, when the whites are our common enemies.” quote by Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/muhammad-ali-386_black_we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohamme_63614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/muhammad-ali-386_black_we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohamme_63614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/muhammad-ali-386_black_we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohamme_63614.jpg) > “We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man, Malcolm X, when the whites are our common enemies.” [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A call to prioritize collective struggle over internal disputes, emphasizing unity against systemic oppression. **In simple terms:** Prioritize shared struggle over internal conflict. Key Takeaway Unity against common oppressors. Themes solidarity racial politics strategic focus historical memory activism Mood defiant urgent resolute Type political motivational historical When to use this quote - civil rights organizing - community meetings - political rallies Key Concepts identity politics enemy identification leadership dynamics Practical Applications - building coalitions - reframing narratives Questions to Reflect On - What internal tensions does this perspective overlook? - How can groups balance solidarity with critical self‑examination? A Different Perspective While focusing on external enemies can unite, neglecting internal critique may perpetuate harmful hierarchies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-enemy/) [Elijah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elijah/) [Elijah Mohammed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elijah-mohammed-698923/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Followed Honorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followed-honorable-857068/) [Honorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honorable/) [Honorable Elijah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honorable-elijah-857070/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mohammed Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mohammed-boss-857069/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [Whites have always put one against another and now they have a dead man who was nothin' but a, he admitted it himself, Malcolm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/whites-have-always-put-one-against-another-and-now-they-have-a-dead/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Everything I got comes from Elijah Mohammed. He taught me who I was, he made me proud, he made me fearless, he made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/everything-i-got-comes-from-elijah-mohammed-he-taught-me-who-i-was-he/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We believe that the Honorable Elijah Mohammed is the apostle of Allah, God, but I'm only a helper and a minister of his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-believe-that-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-is-the-apostle-of-allah/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [To be a follower of The Honorable Elijah Mohammed, you have to completely extain from alcohol, or fornication, adultered, killin', stealin', lyin'. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/to-be-a-follower-of-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-you-have-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I barely got out of school, I got out of school, mainly, because I was a champ, and I actually didn't pass. I won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-barely-got-out-of-school-i-got-out-of-school-mainly-because-i-was-a/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Everything the black people are doing comes from the Honorable Elijah Mohammed. They are black now, they don't want to be called Negroes. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/everything-the-black-people-are-doing-comes-from-the-honorable-elijah/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Many people are quick to say that we are not recognized by Muslims in the East . And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [White people cannot destroy me like they have other big ministers of Elijah Mohammed in the past by telling us oh, you speak good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/white-people-cannot-destroy-me-like-they-have-other-big-ministers-of/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Because wherever I am today, I still owe it to God and I owe it to two men - the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/because-wherever-i-am-today-i-still-owe-it-to-god-and-i-owe-it-to-two/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that God, now, is about to establish a kingdom on this earth, based upon brotherhood and peace. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-teaches-us-that-god-now-is-about-to/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Because The Honorable Elijah Muhammad makes black people brave enough, men enough to defend ourselves no matter what the odds are, the white man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/because-the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-makes-black-people-brave-enough/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I'll never violate my oath to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to work night and day for the rise of my people. I've been at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/i-ll-never-violate-my-oath-to-the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-to-work/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says that if the - what should happen is the black man himself should learn how to develop himself, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-says-that-if-the-what-should-happen-is/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said when the children of Israel rebelled against Moses and Aaron and did not want to leave their slavemaster to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-said-when-the-children-of-israel/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [Everything that I'm attempting to do is based on my understanding of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and what he wanted for his people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/everything-that-i-m-attempting-to-do-is-based-on-my-understanding-of/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) ## More by Muhammad Ali > [There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-are-more-pleasant-things-to-do-than-beat-up-people/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-too-fast-i-m-too-smart-i-m-too-pretty/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-don-t-count-my-sit-ups-i-only-start-counting-when-it-starts-hurting/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. Called him names I shouldn't have called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-said-a-lot-of-things-in-the-heat-of-the-moment-that-i-shouldn-t/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Many people are quick to say that we are not recognized by Muslims in the East . And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I have been so great in boxing they had to create an image like Rocky, a white image on the screen, to counteract my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-have-been-so-great-in-boxing-they-had-to-create-an-image-like-rocky/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Money and riches don't mean nothing to me. I don't care nothing about being no rich individual. I'm not living for glory or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/money-and-riches-don-t-mean-nothing-to-me-i-don-t-care-nothing-about/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Allah is the Greatest. I'm just the greatest boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/allah-is-the-greatest-i-m-just-the-greatest-boxer/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/my-wealth-is-in-my-knowledge-of-self-love-and-spirituality/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain't going to die easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-gonna-have-to-be-killed-before-i-lose-and-i-ain-t-going-to-die/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If some black man go out and start something, a riot or something or, I'm not going to jump in it and get killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-some-black-man-go-out-and-start-something-a-riot-or-something-or-i/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If you want to be equal with me, you can get your own Rolls-Royce, your own house and your own million dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-you-want-to-be-equal-with-me-you-can-get-your-own-rolls-royce-your/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Put yourself out on a limb, sucka, like me!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/put-yourself-out-on-a-limb-sucka-like-me/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) [Explore all 609 Muhammad Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. 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I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) [Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. 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