When you take the tour of the U of C, your guide will likely emphasize how cool it is that Barack Obama lives “right down the street.” You’ll probably contemplate for a moment just how neat it would be to eat Sunday brunch right next to him at the Med, or maybe even (if you’re feeling a little daring) shake his hand. You might even take a detour to check out his Tony Rezko-tainted house in Kenwood.What they probably don’t tell you is that just seven blocks north of Bartlett lives another leading African–American political figure: Louis “X” Farrakhan, the head of the Nation of Islam. Technically it’s in Kenwood on 49th street, but the house is only a few blocks from Harold’s and well worth the trek. Farrakhan lives in an heavily fortified estate complete with a glass dome that looks like it can function alternatively as part of a mosque, an escape hatch, and a sniper’s nest. Across the street from the house is the sprawling Nation of Islam compound, which takes up a full block. No student should graduate without having been trailed around the block by Farrakhan’s security detail in an unmarked car. It’s like jumping into Botany pond or being assaulted by STAND protesters.Anyways, Louis X was back in the news today, dispelling the commonly held notion that he was in fact dead with a speech in Atlana to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the Million Man March. Farrakhan, who in his younger years drew criticism for welcoming comparisons to Hitler, and last year asserted that Hurrican Katrina was a government conspiracy to rid New Orleans of black people, spoke to 5,000 fans for a good 2 1/2 hours. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the best coverage of the event, and for those who were waiting for the good Minister to weigh in before you made up your mind about Michael Vick, fear not:

“I know our brother broke the law. God himself is displeased, because he has given us dominion over his creatures and he doesn’t want us to abuse them for sport,” said Farrakhan, before coming to a near whisper. “But they didn’t have to come down on the brother like that. He is young, black and super rich. And all of those white children were wearing his jersey. White people were losing control of their children to black sports and entertainment figures, and they can’t take it.”

Finally, someone with the courage to tell it like it is! White people wanted to regain the sense of total control that they have when Joey Harrington is quarterbacking their team. It’s almost too obvious.