Temple No. 1
The Workman’s Circle, a Jewish Labor Fraternity, erected this building in 1940. Temple No. 1 of the Nation of Islam purchased it in the 1950s. By then, the Nation of Islam, led by the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, had established temples in major cities throughout the United States. During the Civil Rights era, the Nation of Islam focused on Black nationalism and self-empowerment. This building served as the temple, a community center, a school, and Detroit headquarters. Malcolm X Shabazz was one of the ministers here before he left the Nation of Islam in 1964.