Mother Ruby Muhammad (born 1897)and Suzanne Brooks/The Jazz Generation, entertained and delighted the audience at the annual Sacramento Community Women of Color Day/Diversity Awards Event on Sunday's event "I Believe I Can Fly: Memories of Music And Stories."The 2010 Sacramento event, "Symbols in Silver," honored 8 outstanding individuals: Deloris Ashley, Karen Bass, Speaker, California Assembly; Roxana Borrego, Director, Sacramento Cultural Center; Aurora Grajeda, San Francisco Bay Area Journalist; Britta Guererro, Director, Sacramento Native American Health Center; Teresa Pulido, Grandmother, West Sacramento; Oprah Winfrey, actress/talk show host; and Rev. Ashiya Odeye, Director, Sacramento Justice Reform Coalition.
Ruby Muhammad, 113, was born in Sandersville, Georgia, but grew up inAmericus, Georgia. She was raised by a woman she used to think was her aunt, because her mother died when Muhammad was young, and her father was unknown to her until she was a teenager.
Muhammad joined the Nation in 1946 and was named Mother of the Nation of Islam in 1986 by Minister Louis Farrakhan, and has an international following of admiration by those in the Nation of Islam.
In March 2007, she ostensibly turned 110, though this has not been documented. Despite her age, she is still in excellent health, still exercising and taking care of herself. She credits joining the Nation of Islam for her longevity. From community records in Sandersville, she also believes her father lived to 107 and her great grandfather lived to 110.
Muhammad is not the widow of Elijah Muhammad, founder of the Nation of Islam. She has had two husbands, neither being Elijah Muhammad.
Muhammad joined the Nation in 1946 and was named Mother of the Nation of Islam in 1986 by Minister Louis Farrakhan, and has an international following of admiration by those in the Nation of Islam.
In March 2007, she ostensibly turned 110, though this has not been documented. Despite her age, she is still in excellent health, still exercising and taking care of herself. She credits joining the Nation of Islam for her longevity. From community records in Sandersville, she also believes her father lived to 107 and her great grandfather lived to 110.
Muhammad is not the widow of Elijah Muhammad, founder of the Nation of Islam. She has had two husbands, neither being Elijah Muhammad.
Iola Imogene Scott was born May 31, 1905 in Madisonville Kentucky. After losing her mother at age 12 she moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and was raised by her Aunt and Uncle. At a very young age, Iola fell in love with “doing hair” and studied with Madam C.J. Walker, afterward opening her own beauty salon and school.She mentored many young women of color the cosmetology trade. She developed a line of beauty products uniquely for black women and was instrumental in the development of the curling iron. As a young woman, she was very active in her church as the organist for the Youth Choir. Decades before “Black became Beautiful,” she sponsored beauty shows, pageants and cultural events. In 1955, she relocated to California where she owned and operated her own beauty salon, Kosmetique, until she retired at the age of 93.
