10 Comments
Feb 7Liked by Raziq Rauf

I appreciate the highlight of Zaakiyah's courageous efforts to address societal ills with empowering leadership and positivity. Topics that are usually shoved aside to preserve the comfort of privilege, your article sheds light on the history and impact of inequity. Great read!

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Jan 7Liked by Raziq Rauf

Thanks so much for this!!!

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Jan 4Liked by Raziq Rauf

thanks for sharing this!

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My early morning haiku:

2024

I have such high hopes for you

Lets fucking do this

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author

I believe in 2024 as well. Let's get it

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Sorry for the profanity - is this a family show? Also, loved the new post!

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author

Soooooo much swearing this week haha

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Jan 4Liked by Raziq Rauf

Great read, thank you Raz and Zaakiyah for sharing!

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I really appreciated this post but am sad (though not surprised) the area is still a wellness desert. I spent time in South Central LA in spring of 1995, as part of a magazine writing class in journalism school. I developed an in-depth article about how the Rebuild LA movement, following the Rodney King riots, was failing South Central; "progress" amounted to new Taco Bells being built there. I remember driving all around South Central and being the only white person in view, but I didn't feel intimidated or scared, just curious about the community, and other people looked at me with curiosity, not in a threatening way. I also loved running through South Central during the three times I ran the LA Marathon as a run mentor with Students Run Oakland, a group I helped start in the mid-2000s based on the model of Students Run LA. I hope Students Run LA, which trains and mentors students from underprivileged areas of LA to run the LA Marathon, is still going strong. The South Central Run Club strikes me as an adult version of that group. It's needed! Bravo to Zaakiyah.

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It won't change without people like you and Zaakiyah

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