“I’m from Africa, I’m actually...Muslim. Faith plays so much in Islam. You are taught you love one another no matter what color you are, we’re brothers and sisters. And it actually helps a lot with racism because I can’t call you these names if you’re my Muslim brothers and sisters. Which goes with other religions too, you know. There’s no religion that teaches you to hate. I feel like whatever you are, if we just look at each other as brothers and sisters, it’ll be a better world.

“My parents and grandparents...always taught me, don’t judge nobody. You don’t judge. The only person who can judge is the man upstairs. And getting raised in such a loving, supportive home will help a lot. Especially with kids these days. Some kids don’t know their history. So just teaching. And being able to listen, because judgemental people are so stubborn you can’t change them. So I just feel like if people are more open minded to the situation that’s going on around and not being judgemental it will be better. For example, the Black Lives Matter that’s going on. People who are stubborn are like, “what about other lives?” but they’re not talking about other lives. Just focus on the topic. If you acknowledge that problem, we can maybe move on from that. But if you don’t, we’ll be stuck over there. So people being open minded and less judgemental, it will make a difference. 

“If you see me on the street, you know, don’t be scared! Because me, I’m a goofy kid, you know. Always happy. But if you don’t know me you wouldn’t know that. So rather than seeing me on the street and kind of moving away, get to know me personally. You’ll be surprised because there’s so many African American kids, Black kids that are caring and loving but don’t get a chance to show it, to prove because we’re already judged at the moment, you know. If you see me, my dreads, if you saw my waves, you’re like, “Oh man, that kid is trouble. He probably does all this stuff” and all that. But if you just put that aside, get to know that person, you’ll be surprised”.