Ismail: Muslim In America
Being black and an intellectual is not a threat. Being black and Muslim is not a threat. Being a passionate, engaged, and present individual is not a threat.
Race and culture have impacted my life in ways I couldn’t imagine. The intersection of those two dynamics has been such a huge part of my identity in America. As a first-generation immigrant with parents from Ethiopia and Somalia, there’s this common experience of feeling displaced and not really identifying with anyone at school, on your sports teams…especially where I grew up. But the biggest challenge has been the intersection of race, culture and my faith as a Muslim. In America, to be black AND Muslim? Common thinking would be “Nah bruh, choose a struggle. Can’t handle both. It’s too traumatic.” But the reality is, the intersection of being first-generation, being black, and Muslim has taught me so much about my people’s resilience and how we continue to blossom even when we’re being killed in the streets. It’s inspiring to look my parents in the eye and know that even though there are institutions in place in this country that try to dismantle the black home, they thrived and in the face of blatant racism and discrimination for their faith that they continue to elevate.
My day starts off just like most folks. Alarm goes off at 7AM. I find my phone and turn off the alarm. Lay flat on my back and take a moment to thank God for the day and ask Him to keep me and my loved ones safe. Turn over in bed and lay there for 10-15 minutes checking emails, missed calls, and social media. Once I check my calendar for my to-do list, I hop in the shower to get my day going. Get dressed, grab my bag and headphones, tune into the latest Soulection Radio show or do some digging on Soundcloud, and head out the door to work, where I make a concerted effort to explore my neighborhood, Queen Anne, in Seattle along the way.
Once I get off work, I try to incorporate “gym time” and that usually comes in the form of hoops – I’m a hoops junkie and never really got into working out (but I’m getting better at that). Open gym? I’m there. I could spend entire days in the gym and I think that just has to do with being younger and a real gym rat.
Generally, after I get back from hoops I spend about an hour or two on self-development. Currently, I’m studying to obtain my PMP certification and it’s been fun working through that. I believe constantly staying sharp is key to a successful life.By the time I wrap up with that, it’s about 11pm and its now time for “music time.” I’ll spend the next 2-3 hours listening to hundreds of new songs, remixes, mixes, etc. until I get tired and fall asleep.
I’m really passionate about tech, diversity & inclusion strategy, and access – how those three big challenges for a company can intersect to create opportunities for people who look like I do or come from communities similar to mine. In my brief time in the tech industry, I’ve seen firsthand how lack of access and D&I strategy can create unintended consequences (ex. minimal diversity/representation). Outside of that, I have this crazy idea that I want to be the CEO of a multi million-dollar company at some point in my career. It’s definitely lofty but I believe I can achieve it.
My personal passions include: Music. Basketball. Poetry. Words. History. Legacy..In no particular order. I think I read and listen to music at a rate that isn’t normal lol. Any free time I have, I’m reading like 20 different things and love learning about new things. For someone who likes to be outdoor and explore, words are like taking your mind on an exploration to wherever you’re reading about. It’s such a dope feeling to learn about new historical facts. And using those words to craft my own words is something I really am passionate about. Writing…man, that’s where it’s at. I firmly believe the pen is mightier than the sword because when all those people are dead by the sword, what lives on? Written word. Oral stories. Those came from people who were storytellers in their day and to continue the written/oral tradition is a blessing/gift from God that I don’t want to squander. One of my parent’s hails from the country known as the “The Land of Poets,” and I think that it’s very evident in both my upbringing and experience as an African youth that storytelling had a very real affect on how I learned about the world, how I described the world, and how I understood the world.
I think the thing I do best is connect with people. I’m passionate about developing genuine relationships with everyone I meet and connecting them with people who can help them do better in what they’re passionate about. I take immense joy in connecting fellow creatives, Africans, professionals with people across the way.