The Nation of Islam will play a major role in restoring the hope of black America, Nation of Islam minister David Muhammad told a crowd of about 65 last night.

Muhammad discussed the history and beliefs of the Nation of Islam and its founder, Louis Farrakhan, as well as the problems that face black America today, in a speech titled "The Million Man March: A Year Later."

"America has to find a way to give black people freedom and opportunity of their own," Muhammad said.

According to Muhammad, last October's "Million Man March" on Washington was part of this effort to restore hope and was a symbol of black unity and community regeneration.

"The march was a sign of black men reconnecting with the spiritual and atoning," Muhammad said.

He said there were more than two million people present at the march, an estimate significantly higher than the official count of the Parks Council.

Speaking about the controversy surrounding Farrakhan, Muhammad said the media and the American government were to blame for misconceptions about his teachings.

"Louis Farrakhan does not train his ministers to go out and teach racism or anti-Semitism," Muhammad said. He described Farrakhan as being "like a heart to the black people of America."

Muhammad also spoke about the problems of drugs and guns in African-American neighborhoods.

"Louis Farrakhan has called for a class-action lawsuit against the CIA and the government of the United States of America for bringing drugs into black communities," Muhammad said.

Muhammad has held a number of leadership positions within the Nation of Islam and is currently serving as a teacher for the movement.

The speech was the first in a lecture series sponsored by the Black Students Association (BSA)