He was born and raised in Detroit, MI and later went to college at the University of Memphis, where he received his BA in History with minors in English and African-American Studies. He earned his MA in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership at the University of Memphis with an emphasis in Secondary Education. He began his teaching career in the Detroit Public School system where he founded an after-school service-learning program. After moving to Arizona in 2004, he worked as an instructor for 7th-12th grade Language Arts and History. He also acted as a Dean of Students and Athletic Director. In 2007, he went to work for the Superior Court of AZ in their Juvenile Court system as a Parent Project Facilitator, teaching parenting classes and classes geared towards troubled youth. In 2010, he moved to Memphis, TN to work as a teacher and an Assistant Principal, while offering parenting classes to the local community. He has also worked at a local Memphis mosque as the Director of Education and Outreach. He is the current Executive Director of Midtown Mosque in Memphis and a History teacher at the local Islamic School. He lives in Memphis, TN with his wife and 5 children.