Five-Percent Nation
The Five-Percent Nation, sometimes referred to as the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE/NOGE) or the Five Percenters, is a cultural movement founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, by Clarence 13X, who was previously known as Clarence Edward Smith.
Members of the group call themselves Allah’s Five Percenters, which reflects the concept that ten percent of the people in the world are elites and their agents, who know the truth of existence and opt to keep eighty-five percent of the world in ignorance and under their controlling thumb; the remaining five percent are those who know the truth and are determined to enlighten the eighty-five percent.
The Nation of Gods and Earths teaches the belief that Black people are the original people of the planet Earth and are therefore the fathers (“Gods”) and mothers (“Earths”) of civilization. The Nation teaches that Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet, a set of principles created by Allah the Father, is the key to understanding humankind’s relationship to the universe. The Nation teaches that the black man, insofar as the Nation defines this race, is himself God, with the black race being a race of actual gods.
The Five Percenters, or the Nation of Gods and Earths, are a New York City-based Black nationalist religious and cultural movement founded in 1963 by Clarence 13X, known as Allah. The movement teaches that Black men are God incarnate and that the Black community can achieve self-sustainability and divinity through education and self-understanding. The group believes most of humanity (85%) is ignorant, a small percentage (10%) misleads them, and the Five Percenters are the truth-tellers who must liberate the minds of the ignorant. The philosophy, which emerged from the Nation of Islam, has had a significant influence on hip-hop, appearing in the lyrics of many rappers.
Key Beliefs and Principles
- God is Black: A central tenet is the belief that Black men are God (“Allah”) personified.
- Black Women as Earth: Black women are considered “Earths,” divine beings who are essential to the existence of humanity and knowledge.
- The “Three Categories” of Humanity:
- The 85%: Considered “deaf, dumb, and blind” and misled by the others.
- The 10%: Possess knowledge and power but falsely teach that God is a supernatural, invisible entity, misleading the 85%.
- The 5%: The Five Percenters, who know the truth about God’s identity and are responsible for enlightening others.
- Self-Sustainability: The movement emphasizes education, dignity, and self-understanding to achieve self-sustainability and empower the Black community.
- Supreme Mathematics: A system of numerology used to decipher messages about the universe and the nature of God.
Origins and Influence
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Split from the Nation of Islam: The Five Percent Nation was formed by Clarence 13X after he split from the Nation of Islam (NOI) in 1963, altering many of the NOI’s original views.
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Impact on Hip-Hop: The group’s teachings, slang, and philosophy have deeply influenced hip-hop artists and culture, often reflected in rap lyrics. Controversies
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Militancy and Misogyny: The movement has faced controversy for expressing militant Black nationalist views and for containing antisemitic, misogynistic, and homophobic conspiracy theories in its teachings and associated cultural expressions.