​Sister Clara Mohammed (the wife of the leader Honorable Elijah Mohammed) began teaching her children at home and her spirit for educating her own children exemplified the spirit of the other mothers in the Nation of Islam.  

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Eventually, an elementary school for the Nation of Islam was established, called, the “University of Islam,” in Detroit in 1932.  Several elementary schools, following this prototype, sprang up around the country. 

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Consequently, the University of Islam in Milwaukee (established in 1972), came to be called Sister Clara Muhammad Preparatory School (in honor of Sister Clara). Sister Clara Muhammad Preparatory School was established to educate the children of the African American Muslim community.