▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Nation ▁of ▁Islam ▁converted ▁to ▁Sun ni ▁Islam ▁when ▁War ith ▁De en ▁Moh ammed ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁after ▁his ▁father ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁and ▁taught ▁its ▁members ▁the ▁traditional ▁form ▁of ▁Islam ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Q ur ' an . ▁A ▁survey ▁by ▁the ▁Council ▁on ▁American - I sl am ic ▁Rel ations ▁shows ▁that ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁Sun ni ▁Mos que ▁at ten de es ▁are ▁African ▁Americans . ▁In ▁fact , ▁most ▁African - American ▁Muslim s ▁are ▁orth odox ▁Muslim s , ▁as ▁only ▁ 2 % ▁are ▁of ▁the ▁Nation ▁of ▁Islam . ▁ ▁J uda ism ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁African ▁Americans ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁who ▁practice ▁J uda ism . ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁are ▁members ▁of ▁main stream ▁Jewish ▁groups ▁like ▁the ▁Reform , ▁Conserv ative , ▁or ▁Orth odox ▁branches ▁of ▁J uda ism ; ▁others ▁belong ▁to ▁non - main stream ▁Jewish ▁groups ▁like ▁the ▁Black ▁Heb rew ▁Israel ites . ▁The ▁Black ▁Heb rew ▁Israel ites ▁are ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁African - American ▁religious ▁organizations ▁whose ▁practices ▁and ▁belief s ▁are ▁derived ▁to ▁some ▁extent ▁from ▁J uda ism . ▁Their ▁varied ▁teach ings ▁often ▁include , ▁that ▁African ▁Americans ▁are ▁desc ended ▁from ▁the ▁Bib lic al ▁Israel ites . ▁ ▁Studies ▁have ▁shown ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁ 1 0 ▁to ▁ 1 5 ▁years ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁major ▁increase