The Black Muslim Lecture Series | Lecture 4: Our Passport to the Future: Trailblazing the Path Towards Educational Justice | A Fundraiser for A Continuous Charity | Ieasha Prime, Basheer Jones, Azeem Muhammad | 12.3.2022

Ieasha Prime is the Director of Women’s Programming at Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center in Virginia and the founder of the DC Muslim Women’s Conference. She converted to Islam more than 20 years ago after being a Youth Ambassador to Morrocco and Senegal. There she developed a thirst for knowledge that would cause her to sit at the feet and learn from some of the top Islamic Scholars of our time. After having participated in several circles of knowledge in the US, Ieasha decided to pursue religious studies abroad. She studied Arabic, and Quran at the Fajr Institute in Cairo, Egypt. Later, she moved to Hadramaut, Yemen and enrolled in Dar al Zahra, an Islamic University for Women. There she studied Aqeedah, Quran, Hadith, Arabic, Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Islamic law, Purification of the Heart and other religious related learning. She has received several scholarly licenses (ijaza). The work that she is most committed to and enjoys have been the development of Islamic programming, Islamic Studies curriculum and Rites of Passage programs for youth and adults. Majority of her life has been spent as an educator and activist. She is most passionate about combining Islamic studies, cultural art, activism and service for the purpose of training leaders to rise above whatever challenges stand in their way and that of the community they serve. In addition to her full-time work, she is the co-founder and Executive Director of Barakah INC, an organization committed to training Muslim women in traditional Islamic sciences with a focus on modern application. Sister Ieasha is recently known for her participation in the National Women’s March, and the courses she teaches on traditional knowledge, the challenges of race and gender in the Muslim community and Spirituality. Ieasha Prime is a proud wife and mother of three children.

Basheer Jones is an impassioned leader, motivational speaker, and spoken word artist with a positive message of empowerment and change. Born in Brooklyn, NY on October 25, 1984 and later transplanted to Cleveland, OH as a child. He graduated Cum Laude from the distinguished Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA in 2006 with a degree in African-American Studies. He later pursued graduate studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Basheer understands that true success is giving back, which is why he decided to move back to Cleveland, OH, where he became the youngest news talk radio show host at Radio One. Basheer has been interviewed by Time, JET, and Essence Magazines, and has been a guest correspondent on CNN, MSNBC, and CSPAN. Basheer played an important role in the city of Cleveland during the 2008 Presidential Election by hosting several Barack Obama rallies and held one of the largest youth voter registration drives in the city. He later became the Regional Field Director for Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee during the 2012 presidential campaign.

Basheer’s dedication and commitment has enabled him to publish his first book, entitled, “I’ll Speak for Change”. He is the President and Founder of The Basheer Jones Foundation, as well a proud member of the NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He has received various awards and recognition for his accomplishments including the Emerging Leader Award from Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and the Urban League’s Distinguished Men Award.

Basheer’s indebtedness and passion to serve his community propelled him to decide run for City Council and win in Ward 7 of Cleveland’s 2017 election. He is the creator of the Be the Change Leadership Series, in which Basheer facilitates leadership and character development workshops within various school systems throughout the state of Ohio.

With his compelling, soul-stirring delivery, Basheer continues to bridge the gap between the youth and the elders by sharing his life experiences with words that inspire and motivate all who hear him. His dedication for speaking on behalf of the voiceless has allowed him to travel throughout the country and international circuit delivering his inspirational message of hope and change. Mr. Jones is a devoted community servant that strives to live by the affirmation that we must “be the change that we want to see in the world.”

Azeem Muhammad — For nearly twenty years, Azeem’s comedy has brought laughter to millions of people worldwide. Whether across stage, colleges, corporate events or religious functions, the result is always the same: drop-dead funny. In 2005, he was the recipient of the MPAC Image Award, for his stand-up performance on the critically-acclaimed Allah Made Me Funny: Official Muslim Comedy Tour, which provided an opportunity for a healthy dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims; drawing the attention of The Daily Show w/ Jon Stewart. His ability to build bridges across gender, ethnicity, and religious lines has earned him the title of “holistic healer through humor”.

Many in the media describe Azeem’s humor as “conscious comedy”. His ability to intertwine touchy subjects in a politically correct society with charismatic candor, makes him sought out the world over.

Azeem, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, began his comedy career in 1999 at the age of 26 while working at a rehabilitation center for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2005, Azeem made his network television debut on “Comic View”, which brought him to the attention of many clubs and colleges throughout the United States. His standout performances have taken him to over 5 continents, 37 countries, and a favorite on the seven seas; performing onboard Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line ships.

His first full comedy CD “I’m Just Serious” was released in 2010, and his first DVD “Live & Unfiltered” was released in 2015. Azeem can be heard every week on his podcast “I’m Just Serious” on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.His latest endeavor, a one-man show “Funny, Faithful & Flawed” is scheduled to debut in 2020.

A Continuous Charity was founded in 2013 with the sole purpose of alleviating the Muslim students from the financial burden of interest (riba) on educational loans. By doing this, it hopes to bring about a generation of graduates that will have a strong Muslim identity and be well-versed in their fields, using both for the benefit of mankind.