25/08/2025
Moorish American and the Word American
When The Prophet Noble Drew Ali wrote in the Circle 7 Koran that the Moors’ dominion stretched “unto the present North, South, and Central America and also Mexico and the Atlantis Islands,” he was making a very clear point: the Americas as a whole are the inheritance of the Moors. To really understand what he meant, it helps to look at the bigger history of the word American itself.
1. The Original Meaning
Before the United States even existed, American simply meant anyone born in the Americas. A Mexican, a Jamaican, a Brazilian, a Canadian, or a Virginian, all were Americans by geography. Drew Ali was returning to this original definition when he pointed to the entire hemisphere, not just the U.S.
2. The U.S. Hijack
After independence in 1776, the United States tried to monopolize the name. They branded themselves as “the American nation,” as if the rest of the hemisphere didn’t exist. Drew Ali rejected that idea. By naming North, South, Central America, and the islands, he made it clear that Moorish identity wasn’t locked inside U.S. borders.
3. Race and Exclusion
In the early USA history, “true American” was code for white. Black and Indigenous people were pushed outside that definition. Drew Ali flipped the script: he told people of African descent to stop calling themselves Negro, Colored, or Black, and instead say, “I am a Moorish American.” In other words, you are not outsiders you are the rightful Americans, heirs to the land itself.
4. The Latin American Connection
Leaders like Simón Bolívar and José Martí also fought against the U.S. monopoly on the word American. Martí’s Nuestra América (“Our America”) spoke of a united hemisphere with its own destiny. Drew Ali’s vision ran parallel: Moors are Americans in the fullest sense, connected to North, South, Central America and the Caribbean.
5. Why It Matters
Language shapes power. When U.S. citizens act like “American” belongs to them alone, they erase the rest of the hemisphere and they erase Black and Indigenous people inside the U.S. itself. Drew Ali’s teaching was a radical correction. By declaring that the Moors’ inheritance covers the Americas, he gave people of African descent a dignified name, a place in history, and a claim to the land.
Conclusion
So when Noble Drew Ali said “Moorish American,” he wasn’t just talking about U.S. citizens of African descent. He was talking about anyone of African descent born in the Americas North, South, Central, or the islands. He was restoring the original meaning of American, rejecting the U.S. hijack of the word, and breaking down the racial barrier that tried to deny Black and indigenous peoples their birthright as true Americans.
Ps it is deeper than just African decent but I will leave it as it is for clarity so there can be no confusion.
