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Contact And Sign Up To Attend The 2020 Reunion Of The Old N. B.Young Junior High School (1964-1971)
All About You
MCDOWELLS
4-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Prominent Civil Rights,
Muslim Rights Activist,
Marzuq Al-Hakim,
Passed Sunday
Prominent Civil Rights and Muslim Rights Activist, Marzuq Al-Hakim, passed away on Sunday, September 1, 2019, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Tampa. He was 62 years old.
Marzuq was born in Talla- hassee, Florida, March 15, 1957 — while his father, prominent educator and civil rights ac- tivist, Rudolph Harris, Sr., was a student at FAMU. His mother was Verline Harris. Both parents preceded him in death.
According to family and friends, Marzuq fought nu- merous battles throughout his life, often in flamboyant and spirited fashion. He is de- scribed as one of a kind. As a friendly, outgoing, fun-loving person, who enjoyed service to others.
As a trained Paralegal by
MARZUQ AL-HAKIM
profession, Marzuq used his legal prowess to fight racism and injustices for decades. He was a self-taught, highly skilled attorney, setting legal prece- dence on countless occasions.
Also known as “Baby Johnny Cochran,” he was a fierce advocate for prison and justice system reforms, freeing African American men from a system of over-sentencing, even overturning unjust life sentences of individuals.
Marzuq and his father joined several others in cham- pioning the renaming of Buf- falo Avenue (a main artery in the city of Tampa) to Dr. Mar- tin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., which stretches from Drew Park to Plant City.
Finally, Marzuq was a
proud Muslim.
Jarvis El-Amin Marzuq in 1987 when he came to Tampa.
“When I got here, I was reading the Florida Sentinel, and read an article by Mr. (Rudolph) Harris. I called the office to get Mr. Harris’ number. We talked and that’s when he told me he had a son that’s a Muslim. Our friendship grew from that,” El-Amin said of Marquz.
“Marzuq was always faith- ful to his religion and active in the community. He wanted to make this community better,” he said.
Information on a memorial service will be forthcoming.
Marzuq leaves behind two sons and two daughters, both of whom are nurses; siblings, and a host of beloved relatives.
From its opening in Janu- ary 1964, until June of 1971, N. B. Young Junior High was the beloved education and social hub for hundreds of Belmont Heights and Jackson Heights youngsters. Affectionately known as the home of the Mighty Buffaloes, Young’s gal- vanizing early years were brought to an end when, in June 1971, after the Hillsbor- ough County School District desegregated the school sys- tem.
While many of the alumni from those early years have maintained the friendships forged back in the day, others haven’t seen their old class- mates since leaving.
Which is why a 2020 reu- nion is being planned.
So, if you were a member of the faculty or staff, or were a 7th, 8th or 9th grade student at Young Jr. High from 1964 through June of 1971, please save these dates: October 9 - 10, 2020.
More information will be forthcoming, however, it is nec- essary to begin ongoing com-
munication in order to gener- ate an accurate count of ex- pected attendees and to calculate the per person costs for reunion events.
There are ways to get connected:
Facebook users should join the “N.B. Young Jr. High THE ORIGINAL HERD” Facebook group.
Those who are more comfortable with email should send their email address to bonnyehall- crews@juno.com.
In addition to your email address, please provide your name (maiden-current, for women) and your grades/years of attendance at Young Jr. High.
The deadline for connecting by ONE of the above methods is Saturday, September 14, 2019.
Also, mark your calendars and save the date for our up- coming “Original Herd” Alumni Reunion — October 9 - 10, 2020.
Let’s do this, Buffaloes!
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