By Gary Younge The Guardian

In this exclusive interview for Correspondent's website, Gary Younge talked at length with Professor Vibert White.

Professor White was a highly respected member of the Nation of Islam from 1978 to 1995, during the time of a rise of Ku Klux Klan activity. He rose through Lieutenant and Captain to become a Minister.

But for the Professor, it all went sour in the late 1980's when he became tired of so much of what the organisation stood for. This is a full and frank interview.

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"I don't think that a visit to Britain by the Minister Farrakhan would be a cause for concern for anyone, but England has been going through problems with extremist Muslims, and they just could use such a visit to their advantage".

Farrakhan's ban in the UK

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"For the past year, the Nation of Islam has not been in the media, unlike back in the 1980s and 90s. But now, since 9/11 [11 September] and the race problems here and in Britain, it has given a new opportunity for the movement that has been floundering for the past few years".

After 9/11 [11 September]

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"It was a new birth of nationalism - new black nationalism, but Jessie Jackson, although he said much the same as Minister Farrakhan, was not able to connect to the under class in the same way as Farrakhan".

After the Million Man March

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"Glamour has been in the history of the Nation of Islam for the last 20 years - within religious black America, there has not been any other group that has spent, has had such elaborate shows, great shows, as the Nation of Islam".

The glamour of the Nation of Islam

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"In my view, I think he is a man who will never say that he's anti-Semitic, do we have a hostility and anger towards Jewish people? In many respects, yes.... one can tell a person by the actions, so his actions can be very anti-Semitic".

His actions can be very anti-Semitic

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"I still see people looking at Elijah Mohammed as being the Christ and Fahed Mohammed as being God within the movement. I still see individuals looking at Farrakhan as a divinity of sorts on earth. A leader must be clear in his objectives and his language towards his people".

A leader must be clear in his objectives

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"I got tired of seeing these elaborate conventions and seeing little work being done after the conventions were over. I had grown tired of hearing stories and seeing so many Muslims who had lost their families, homes and way of life".

It all went sour for me in the late 80s

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Minister of Rage: Sunday 2 June 2002 on BBC Two at 1915 BST

Reporter: Gary Younge
Producer / Director: Geoff Small
Deputy Editor: Farah Durrani
Editor: Fiona Murch