Mother Burnsteen Sharrieff Mohammed was born Burnsteen Richardson on July 14, 1915 in Robinsonville, Mississippi. She was the fourth of eight children. Mother Burnsteen came to Detroit, Michigan with her parents at the age of 5. Her education began in the Detroit Public Schools. She later attended Miller High School of Commerce (An all-business school) where she learned typing and secretarial work.

 Mother Burnsteen became a member of the Nation of Islam at the age of 17 with her parents in 1932. When she joined the Nation of Islam, she became the secretary-typist to Master Fard Mohammed. He (Master W.D.F.M.) have her the title of REFORMER (which no else carried). A reformer is one who makes better by removing faults and defects, to cause or persuade a person to give up misconduct and behave better. On April 16, 1934 she along with 24 other members were arrest and jailed for 10 days.

 In 1954 her four school age children were taken from her and her husband and placed in foster homes where they stayed for more than 30 days because their parents refused to take them out of their own school and put them into the public school system. She returned to Allah on February 28, 2002 at the age of 86. May Allah be pleased with her and grant her paradise.