Events

The Princess and the Prophet tells the story of the Black Broadway performer who, among the world of Arabian acrobats and equestrians, Muslim fakirs, and Wild West shows, discovered in Islam a greater measure of freedom and dignity and a rebuttal to the racism and parochialism of white America. 

Overturning the received wisdom that the prophet was born on the east coast, Dorman has discovered that Noble Drew Ali was born Walter Brister in Kentucky. With the help of his wife, a former lion tamer and “Hindoo” magician herself, Brister renamed himself Prophet Noble Drew Ali, and founded the predecessor of the Nation of Islam, the Moorish Science Temple of America, in the 1920s.

See EVIDENCE for photos & primary sources.

Reviews

Dorman has a “knack for keeping one amused and amazed….His intent is not to discredit Moorish Science but to demonstrate the cultural ingenuity of early African-American Muslims.” —Harper’s Magazine, April 2020.

“Dorman does an excellent job of presenting his information in a clear and entertaining manner, making the subject matter so interesting that you can't helped but be pulled into the narrative.” — Qantara.de, April 2020.

“A captivating reinterpretation of Muslim-American heritage.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review

“A fascinating work of historical reinterpretation.”
—Booklist, Starred Review

“A remarkable study.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Performer, prestidigitator, peddler, preacher, prophet, politician, prisoner, and precursor of Nation of Islam—these are the many faces of the enigmatic Noble Drew Ali. Jacob Dorman’s deft and riveting historical ‘thriller’ demolishes everything we thought we knew about the man, his equally mysterious wife, and the movement he led. A journey through continents and circus tents, barbershops and backrooms, millennia of religious traditions and an ersatz ‘Orient’ embodied in the flesh of Black pretenders, The Princess and the Prophet is itself a prodigious feat of detective work and archival magic. A spectacular book in so many ways.”
—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original

“A masterful blend of rigorous scholarship and compelling narrative, The Princess and the Prophet is an immense accomplishment. Dorman illuminates lost chapters of American history and transforms our understanding of an American prophet. The Princess and the Prophet will make a lasting contribution to our study of American religion.”
—Michael Muhammad Knight, author of The Five Percenters: Islam, Hip-hop and the Gods of New York

“Jacob Dorman, the author of an earlier award-winning book on Black Israelite religions, has scored again with this superb study. Intelligently conceived, meticulously researched, and splendidly written, Dorman’s new book fills a major void in African American history.”
—William M. Tuttle, Jr., author of Race Riot: Chicago in the Red Summer of 1919

“A must-read! Jacob S. Dorman weaves together fascinating and compelling tales of circuses and theatrical stage shows and love and religion to reveal the deeply layered and mysterious public and private life of the first Black Muslim prophet. …The Princess and the Prophet is certain to transform our understanding of African American history, leaving readers with new ways of discussing Black life, culture, and religion.”
—LaShawn D. Harris, author of Sex Workers, Psychics, and Numbers Runners: Black Women in New York City’s Underground Economy