Draft:University of Cosmic Intelligence

The University of Cosmic Intelligence is an online-based, predominantly Black new religious movement founded by Rashad Jamal (real name Rashad White), a rapper and self-proclaimed prophet who is currently serving a prison sentence in Georgia for child molestation.

Background
Jamal has a combined social media following of around 300,000, and his group promotes conspiracy theories, anti-vaccinationism and sovereign citizen-style beliefs. Extraterrestrial beings play a large role in the group’s belief system, and they refer to Earth as the planet Ki and to themselves as the Grand Cosmic Rising Family. The group has been accused of playing a role in several missing persons cases and two murders. Jamal’s followers maintain his innocence and regard his conviction and imprisonment as part of a deliberate plot to silence his teachings.

In a video that was widely shared on Facebook and TikTok, Jamal falsely claimed that African Americans are not descended from enslaved Africans, but are instead “the true Native Americans”.