Alumnus Kasim
Kasim Abdur Razzaq was a star player on his high school's basketball team with multiple college athletic scholarships to choose from. Unfortunately, an injury during his senior year sidelined his dreams. Scholarship offers were rescinded, leaving him heartbroken and uncertain of his future. Kasim courageously picked up the pieces and decided to begin his academic journey at Minneapolis College.
He enrolled as a criminal justice major while also earning a spot on the Minneapolis College basketball team once his injuries healed. He had the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, hardship continued to plague him. Within months of suddenly losing his father, Kasim's mother suffered serious injuries in a car accident, leaving him to be the rock of the family during those difficult times.
"Focusing on my studies wasn't easy. Despite it all, I always knew my Minneapolis College support system had my back. The accommodating instructors, small class sizes, and the community vibe made it an amazing building block as I transitioned from my youth into adulthood."
After Kasim transferred from Minneapolis College, he went on to earn his bachelor's degree in psychology. He began his career as a nonprofit program manager before dedicating himself to social work in St. Paul Public Schools.
His desire to serve even more people in the Twin Cities prompted Kasim to go back to school to earn his master's degree in education. He impressively balanced his master’s with being a full-time employee, a husband, and a father. In 2014, his hard work paid off, landing him a TED talk on educational justice.
With extensive public speaking, consulting, and social work skills in his repertoire, Kasim started his own business in 2015. Abdur Razzaq Counseling & Social Architecture provides individual, couples, group, and family counseling services focused on a purposeful and responsive approach to addressing social, emotional, community and organizational challenges.
Recently, Kasim also became a two-time published author. His first book, Five Essential Principles For Healing Black Men and Raising Black Boys, “identifies the conditions, political posture and psychological disposition necessary for black men to heal and raise healthy black boys.”
His second published work, Black Child Run is “a children's book that explores the importance of family values, community engagement and how children can begin to imagine their role in making a difference.”
As of late, Kasim’s business has taken him on the road, conducting workshops and guest speeches at businesses, colleges, and universities in support of their diversity and inclusion initiatives. In fact, Kasim returned to his alma mater this past fall, enlightening our campus with his health and wellness lecture during staff development day. Kasim is currently pursuing his doctorate in counseling psychology. His dissertation examines how an organization’s structure and culture impacts employees’ work identities and mental health. Kasim’s work is healing and uniting our beloved community. We are SO proud to be the place where he began turning his dreams into a reality!
You can find out more about Kasim, his speaking & workshop services, and his publications on his website.