Information about this center is no longer updated. This data was last updated on 20 December 2013.
Contact Information
Address: 5601 Grand River, Detroit, MI 48208
Email: infro@moorishsciencetempleofamericainc.org
Website: http://www.moorishsciencetempleofamericainc.com/
History of the Moorish Science Temple of America
The history of the Moorish Science Temple of America is traced to Timothy Drew, born in North Carolina in 1886. He is reported to have been the son of a Moroccan Muslim father and a Native American mother. Re-locating to Newark, New Jersey for work, and with the founding of the Moorish Science Temple of America in 1913, he changed his name to Noble Drew Ali. Islam, according to Noble Drew Ali, was the religion of blacks. During his lifetime, he is said to have attracted between 20,000-30,000 followers, with 10,000 in Detroit alone.Location and Description
The Moorish Science Temple of America Number 25 was located in downtown Highland Park, from the 1940's through the 1960s, and at 910 Bryson Street, near the intersection of East Seven Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, from 1968-1994. Since 1994, it has been at its current location on Grand River Avenue, in a former bank building. The interior is triangular in shape, similar to a pyramid. In the front there is a pulpit, an altar with a picture of Noble Drew Ali over it, and both the American and Moroccan flags. Picture of Noble Drew Ali, Marcus Garvey, and a copy of the Moorish Constitution decorate the walls.Demographics
The size of the membership at Temple Number 25 is over 100 members. All are black.Activities and In the Community
On Wednesday nights, there is Quaranic study; there are services on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. In addition, the center has an after-school tutoring program located in the classroom upstairs at the temple. Members participate in Paint the Town, sponsored by the Family Independence Agency, to help people clean, paint, and repair homes in Detroit. They also participate in the Clean-Sweep project in Detroit, an annual event to clean trash from city parks and neighborhoods. There is a community outreach center that is open to the public on Wyoming and Fenkell called "Each One Reach One." They also rent out the mechanic's garage across the street from the center. Located in a deteriorating neighborhood in Detroit, the Moorish Science Temple of America Number 25 is attempting to help in Detroit's revitalization.