NCJ Number
154127
Date Published
1994
Length
347 pages
Annotation
This book documents the rise and fall of Yahweh Ben Yahweh (born Hulon Mitchell, Jr.) and his Nation of Yahweh, a Miami-based cult that evolved into a criminal organization whose members committed extortion, firebombing, and murder.
Abstract
At its peak in the 1980's, the Nation of Yahweh claimed thousands of members nationwide, and its real-estate holdings totaled $100 million. Atop this empire was the group's brilliant founder and mastermind, Yahweh Ben Yahweh ("God the son of God"). Through an Old Testament-based theology, Yahweh Ben Yahweh established himself as the promised messiah in the eyes of his followers. His headquarters was an inner-city "fortress" called the Temple of Love. In a section of Miami permeated with drugs and violence, the self-proclaimed messiah drew thousands of African-American men and women who hungered for a leader. Under his rule, they brought some semblance of order and hope to a place where there had been none. Even Miami's power elite hailed Yahweh Ben Yahweh as a savior of the ghetto. Yahweh Ben Yahweh, however, began to resort to violence to advance his cause and crush any who challenged his power. Yahweh "Death Angels" menaced Miami with extortion, murder, and other forms of intimidation designed to exercise control through fear. After his arrest on murder racketeering changes on November 7, 1990, Yahweh Ben Yahweh was eventually convicted on a lone conspiracy count. His saga reveals much about modern American opportunism and hypocrisy, violent, religious fanaticism, and the search for identity and solidarity in the midst of an ongoing racial malaise. Extensive source notes are provided.