Wallace Fard Muhammad

Date of Birth: 1800s (likely)

Ethnicity: unknown

Wallace Fard Muhammad was the founder of the Nation of Islam. He founded the religious movement in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., in 1930, and was its leader until 1934, his disappearance.

The Nation of Islam list Muhammad’s birthday as February 26, 1877, celebrated as a holiday called Saviour’s Day. He stated that he was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to a Black African father and a Russian Jewish mother, from the Caucasus. The Nation of Islam state that Muhammad was of African and Arab descent.

The book Chameleon: The True Story of W.D. Fard, 2017, by A.K. Arian, posits that Muhammad arrived in Seattle, Washington, from Karachi, Pakistan in 1904 under the names Alam Khan and Khanialam Khan. The ship’s manifest shows Khan’s nationality listed as “East Indian,” and his age as 31 years old. A 1957 FBI report stated that Muhammad previously lived in Portland, Oregon, under the alias Fred Dodd, and in Los Angeles and Chicago as Wallie/Wallace Dodd Ford.

A Fred Dodd married Pearl Allen in Portland, Oregon in 1914. Fred gave his age as 23 and his birthplace as Europe. A son born to Allen during their marriage, Donald Campagna, is believed to be the result of an extramarital affair.

On a 1917 draft registration card, a Wallie Dodd Ford gave his birthplace as Shinka, Afghanistan. He also listed his race as “Caucasian” and his birthdate as February 26, 1893. He lived In Los Angeles. On the 1920 U.S. Census, Ford gave his race as “White,” his birthplace as New Zealand, and his age as 26. He also stated that his father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Illinois. He lived in Los Angeles with a woman named Hazel Ford. A 1920 birth record for a boy named Wallace Max Ford born in Los Angeles lists his father as Wallace Ford, who was born in New Zealand, and his mother as Hazel Barton.

In 1924, Ford married Carmen Trevino in Santa Ana, California. On their marriage record, Ford gave his race as Spanish, his birthplace as Oregon, and his age as 26. His father’s name is listed as Zaradodd Ford, his mother’s name as Babbjie, and their birthplace as Madrid, Spain. On a 1926 San Quentin State Prison file, a Wallie D. Ford of Los Angeles gave his birthplace as Oregon, and his age as 31. His “color” is listed as “White.” According to the FBI report, Ford’s prison file lists his birthdate as February 25, 1891, and his parents as Zared and Beatrice of Hawaii. On the 1930 U.S. Census, a man listed as William D. Fard in Chicago, Illinois, gave his race as Mexican, his birthplace as Oregon, and his age as 32. He also gave his father’s birthplace as Argentina and his mother’s birthplace as Oregon.

No further birth, marriage, or death records appear to exist for individuals matching Dodd or Muhammad. The FBI report states that fingerprints from Muhammad’s arrests in Detroit match Ford’s fingerprints from arrests in Los Angeles. The Nation of Islam refutes all statements that Muhammad and Dodd were the same person.

Sources: Immigration record of Khanialam Khan – https://familysearch.org

FBI report on Wallace Fard Muhammad – https://vault.fbi.gov

Mugshots of Wallace Fard Muhammad and Wallie Dodd Ford – https://www.findagrave.com

Marriage record of Fred Dodd and Pearl Allen – https://www.ancestry.com

Prison file of Wallie Dodd Ford – https://www.ancestry.com

Draft registration card of Wallie Dodd Ford – https://familysearch.org

Wallie D. Ford on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Ford’s son, Wallace Max Ford – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Wallie Dodd Ford and Carmen Trevino – https://familysearch.org

William D. Fard on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Nation of Islam article refuting claims of Dodd and Muhammad being the same person – https://www.noi.org