Black revolutionary Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, known as H. Rap Brown until he converted to Islam while in federal prison in the 1970s, died at the age of 82 on Nov. 23.
Born Hubert Gerold Brown in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on October 4, 1943, Al-Amin was undoubtedly one of the prominent Black civil rights leaders of the 1960s and 1970s who defined the concept of armed resistance and outright rejection of the nonviolent approach to combating white supremacy and anti-Black oppression.
“Violence is necessary. Violence is a part of America’s culture. It is as American as cherry pie,” he once famously said.
His political direction began with his older brother, Ed Brown, who introduced him to the Nonviolent Action Group at Howard University, where the activist met future movement leaders like Courtland Cox, Muriel Tillinghast, and Stokely Carmichael, who later described him as a serious and strong brother whose calm presence inspired confidence.
By 1967, the activist became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at just 23 years old and immediately pushed the group to remove the word “nonviolent” from its name. His speeches captured the rage of Black communities across America. He reminded audiences that Black people had waited a century after emancipation for promises that never came.
“Black folk built America, and if it doesn’t come around, we’re gonna burn America down,” he told crowds from college campuses to street corners.
Federal authorities responded with surveillance and suppression. FBI COINTELPRO documents placed him on a list of four men considered top targets to disrupt.
Congress passed the federal anti-riot statute in 1968 and openly called it the “H. Rap Brown Law.”
When asked for comment, Al-Amin, then Brown, rejected the idea that a statute could contain widespread fury.
“We don’t control anybody,” he said. “The Black people are rebelling.”
His arrest record grew as law enforcement pursued him across states. In 1971, he was wounded in a police shootout in New York, denied the charges, and was convicted of robbery and assault. He served five years in Attica.
That time behind bars reshaped him. The foreword to “Die N*gger Die,” originally published in 1969 and going through seven printings, describes his spiritual shift as a change rooted in self-discipline and study, noting that he embraced Islam and emerged committed to building a moral path forward.
After his release, he opened a mosque in Atlanta’s westside, ran a small store, organized youth programs, and worked to rid the neighborhood of drugs.
In 2000, two Fulton County deputies were shot while serving a warrant. One died. The surviving deputy identified Al-Amin. He denied involvement. Federal inmate Otis Jackson later confessed repeatedly and under oath to being the shooter. Brown was sentenced to life in prison, where he passed.