June 15, 2004, 07:00 AM
Who is Quanell X?
In the wake of Quanell X's much-publicized arrest for evading arrest, many of you are probably wondering, “Who is this Quanell X guy, anyway?”
Every Houstonian has probably seen Quannel X on the news at some time or another instigating some kind of protest. He's commonly called an “activist,” although his credentials lend themselves more to the characterization of “hate-monger.” His official position, however, is that of National Informational Minister for the New Black Panthers, a redux of the radical 60's group.
If you want to make a case that monsters are not born, but made, then Quanell X will provide you with some valuable data. You see, Quanell Abdul Muhammad was born into a stable household on December 7th, 1970 (Pearl Harbor Day) in the City of Angels — Los Angeles. His parents were both members of the Nation of Islam, and both held down good jobs. His mother was a teacher, and his father owned a small business. All seemed well.
The dream came crashing down when Elijah Muhammad, the founder of the Nation of Islam, died. Major changes were forthcoming.
Imam W.D. Muhammad, Elijah's son, took over and began making 'reforms.' Among these was repudiating some of the racist overtones to the organization, especially its anti-Semitism. That was all well and good, but then he endorsed polygamy. This particular moral shift is what tore Quanell's family apart. His father brought his mother's best friend home to become his second wife, and his mother would have nothing of it. She abandoned the Nation of Islam along with their Muslim family name, and returned back to their 'slave name' — Evans.
The Evans family also abandoned Los Angeles, moving eastward to Houston. Young Quanell eventually became a drug dealer, starting out with marijuana, and then moving up the proverbial ladder to crack.
One day, however, Quanell X had a revelation upon seeing a speech by Louis Farrakhan, now the leader of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan appealed to Quanell's deep-seeded prejudices. He largely rejected Muhammad's path of moderation, preaching a vitriolic race-hatred. For the youthful crack dealer, it was a very appealling philosophy.
Upon joining the Nation of Islam, the newly-dubbed Quannel X quickly rose to become a spokesman. However, his over-the-top racist rhetoric continually got him in trouble. At the Gary Graham execution, for example, he said to Houston-area blacks that “[i]f you feel that you just got to mug somebody because of your hurt and your pain, go to River Oaks and mug you some good white folks.” This was not the kind of publicity that the Nation of Islam wanted, so they kicked him out.
Not long after that, Quanell X joined up with the New Black Panthers, where he's basically been ever since. Yet despite his past and his current affiliations, Quanell remains a disturbingly influencial person. He's won kudos as a valuable voice in the community from City Councilwoman Ada Edwards. For a while, he was on the state payroll thanks to State Representative Ron Wilson (D-Houston). He even spoke before the Houston Area Young Republicans on one occassion. Political kryptonite he isn't.
Perhaps with his arrest, Quanell X will finally become the utter outcast he deserves to be.