Muhammad Raqib | realmen

Born and raised in Washington, DC’s inner city, Muhammad struggled to reach a point of triumph unparalleled by many of his peers. His road to success was paved by many of life’s inner city obstacles, such as poverty, drugs, thug life, crime, low educational motivation, violence and death.

In high school, he fell victim to peer pressure and began hanging out with students who didn't value education. Muhammad skipped school to commit various acts of delinquency. Due to these bad choices, he had to repeat the 10th grade. To avoid another educational disaster, his parents made him join JROTC, various athletic teams, youth leadership programs, along with working construction and carpentry with his father after school. As a result, he graduated Calvin Coolidge High School in 1993.

That summer, Muhammad matriculated into Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC. During this pivotal moment in life, his father entered federal prison to serve a five year prison sentence. Losing his father to the prison system, Muhammad began to rebel in college. During his freshman year he was involved in various forms of self-destructive behavior, fights with rival students, skipping class, heavy partying, and academic failure.

At the end of freshman year, university administration had enough of Muhammad’s lack of educational discipline and dismissed him. Returning back to Washington, DC without any plan, Muhammad walked down a path leading him towards a life of crime, drug addiction, prison, and death.

His inner strength and self-determination enabled him to overcome his personal demons and major life obstacles. These same obstacles sent many of his peers towards a life of crime, dropping out of high school and substance abuse. Once again, learning from his own bad choices and the bad choices of those around him, Muhammad began to understand his calling for youth advocacy. He returned back to Johnson C. Smith University in the fall of 1996. He would go on to graduate from his alma mater in May of 2000.

After completing his Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed-Educational Leadership) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, his two educational and life mottos to students are : "Don't Ever Quit On You" and "There Are No Mistakes Only Good Or Bad Choices". His drive and passion for youth advocacy and youth success is also related to two very personal tragedies in his life.

In 1999 and again in 2004 his two younger brothers, Said Raqib and Imtiaz Mohammed were both shot and killed in the same neighborhood in Washington, DC. Their deaths sparked a drive in Muhammad that couldn't be stopped. Through his brother's deaths, he channeled his energy and personal time mentoring and saving the lives of various young men and women. These students also fell prey to the many pitfalls of “self-destructive life habits” - i.e. “thug life”, negative peer pressure, negative thinking, low self-esteem, low educational attainment, and social apathy.

Muhammad teaching youth how to fish in Belize during the Belize (Antonio Soberanis Foundation) Central American Youth Excursion