As part of our monthly Extraordinary Upstander video series, this March we share the inspiring story of a father, ready to forgive and teach youth the importance of forgiveness, after his son was killed.
Extraordinary Upstander: Azim Khamisa
In 1995, Azim Khamisa's 20-year-old son, Tariq, was delivering a pizza when he was shot to death by a 14-year-old gang member. Experiencing the pain, Azim decided to use the tool of FORGIVE to ensure that this type of tragedy happens less frequently in the future.
After meeting with the father of the boy who shot Tariq, he created the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, in his son's memory to engage youth to resist a culture of violence.
Click here to find the video and accompanying lesson plan.
extraordinary upstander
At the secondary level, for Black History Month, we share this video, "Profiling Kevin," featuring a 16-year-old anti-racism activist, and “Extraordinary Upstander: Brian Cox,” featuring the former pro football player who came back as a community leader in his native Los Angeles.
Extraordinary Upstander: Kevin Ward
"Profiling Kevin," features Kevin Ward, a young man who steps up as a leader in his high school as he addresses issues of inequity, Standing in a classroom at Palo Alto High School, he tells his classmates, "We need to ... take a bite of the apple of knowledge and realize where we stand and where we need to go."
Click here to find the video and accompanying lesson plan.
Extraordinary Upstander: Brian Cox