Clarence 13X
A former Nation of Islam minister who broke away to found the Five-Percent Nation, teaching that Black men were the original gods of the universe.
1928–1969 (age 41)·Founder of The Nation of Gods and Earths·Birthday: February 22·The Silent Generation
Biography
Clarence 13X, born Clarence Smith in Virginia, crafted a radical and enduring theology on the streets of Harlem. After serving in the Korean War, he was drawn into the Nation of Islam, where he became a martial arts instructor and a compelling street recruiter known for his intellectual energy. Dissatisfied with aspects of NOI doctrine, he struck out on his own in 1964. He began teaching that the Black man was the 'God' or 'Allah' of the universe, and that only five percent of humanity understood this truth—hence the name Five-Percent Nation. His lessons, often delivered in parks and on street corners, used complex mathematics, astrology, and a unique lexicon to empower disenfranchised Black youth. Though he was murdered in 1969, his movement, also called the Nation of Gods and Earths, flourished, deeply influencing the language and worldview of hip-hop culture and providing a framework for identity and self-knowledge independent of traditional religious structures.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Clarence was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clarence Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Clarence's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1969Died at 41
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
Key Achievements
- Founded the Five-Percent Nation (Nation of Gods and Earths), a spiritual movement that emerged from the Black nationalist tradition in the 1960s.
- Developed the '120 Lessons,' a system of teachings using mathematics, astrology, and etymology to explain history and identity.
- His teachings directly influenced the lyrical content and consciousness of foundational hip-hop artists like Rakim, the Wu-Tang Clan, and Brand Nubian.
Did You Know?
He earned the nickname 'Allah' from his students in the Five-Percent Nation, who referred to him as 'Allah the Father.'
Before his religious work, he was a talented tap dancer who performed under the name 'Clarence 13X.'
He was shot and killed in a still-unsolved murder in the elevator of a New York City housing project in 1969.
“I am the God, and you are the God; we must learn our divine mathematics.”
