The Princess and the Prophet

The Secret History of Magic, Race, and Moorish Muslims in America

By: Jacob Dorman

Narrated by: Chris Ruen

Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

The just-discovered story of how two enigmatic circus performers and the cultural ferment of the Gilded Age sparked the Black Muslim movement in America

Delving into new archives and uncovering fascinating biographical narratives, secret rituals, and hidden identities, historian Jacob Dorman explains why thousands of Americans were enthralled by the Islamic Orient, and why some came to see Islam as a global antiracist movement uniquely suited to people of African descent in an era of European imperialism, Jim Crow segregation, and officially sanctioned racism. 

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. 

With an array of profitable businesses, the "Moors" built a nationwide following of thousands of dues-paying members, swung Chicago elections, and embedded themselves in Chicago's dominant Republican political machine at the height of Prohibition racketeering, only to see their sect descend into infighting in 1929 that likely claimed the prophet's life. This fascinating untold story reveals that cultures grow as much from imagination as inheritance, and that breaking down the artificial silos around various racial and religious cultures helps to understand not only America's hidden past but also its polycultural present. 

©2020 Jacob S. Dorman (P)2020 Beacon Press

Critic reviews

“A captivating reinterpretation of Muslim-American heritage.” (Library Journal, starred review)

“A fascinating work of historical reinterpretation.” (Booklist, starred review)

“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)

Story of Cultural appropriation with a twist

Fascinating and understudied period. Story has many twists and turns and what a cast of characters! Author is very good at not being biased too

It gives a more indepth look at the MSTA

I don’t believe everything written in the this book. I do however appreciate the historical perspective and it does fill in some details that may be missing, I just encourage the listener to study from more sources.

Very good read

The book gave an in depth look at early early days in Chicago and interesting views on the Moors in America.

Great Narration by Chris Ruen

I made it through the entire book only due to the narration of this book.
The title is misleading. Staying up with the characters introduced was like trying to follow a rabbit down its hole, very hard to keep up with all of the people presented. Often those in the story have multiple names, making it even tougher to follow.
I did learn a TON of negative information about the early 1900 politics of Chicago.
It is very curious to me that the Moorish Science Temple of America could be founded, be led by such unsavory people, and initially thrive.
This book only serves to drive home that fact that we are built to worship, we yearn for it and when people search for something other than our true Lord God and Savior of the Bible they can be easily led astray.