Bilal Rahman is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He developed his love for civic responsibility and service to his community through the Boy Scouts of America. His childhood was normal growing up in a two-parent household but like most black male children, he faced challenges in the streets of Baltimore surrounded by crime and violence.
The streets of Baltimore have always been tough, so Bilal Rahman had a chose to persevere or succumb to the pressures of unrelenting society. He made bad chooses that land him in prison. In 1990 he received over a hundred years for his crimes with no apparent hope of re-entering society again. He did not serve time; he allows the time to serve him. He took advantage of all the educational, self-help, and religious program prison offered to him. And in his darkest hour found a glimpse of light.
He received his GED, an AA at Hagerstown Community College, and trade in Plumbing. He founded Community Conscious Rap, Inc. with three other like-minded people to creatively resolve conflict in the prison and the community. If sports have referees to manage and ensure that everyone are playing by the same rule, why wouldn’t members of the community have specialists in conflict resolution? Community Conscious Rap, Inc. organized as a community center for conflict resolution. Bilal Rahman have been recognized by several government and civic institution for his community service. He has help countless of other incarcerated men wanting something different that lead them to prison. He was eventually paroled February of 2014.
Cognitive of the social dilemma of his community, he found a way to make a negative into a positive. He participated in block cleaning program sponsored by Baltimore Manpower Initiative. He has sat on community panels and forums to talk about conflict resolution. He shared the lectern with the Baltimore City Police Commissioner Bates and Commander Major Briscoe of Western District Police. Introduce former Md. State Senator Lisa Gladden in community meetings. He was in the streets during the hours of Baltimore Uprising over Freddie Gray death. I worked on Sheila Dixons campaign for Mayor of Baltimore. He pushes policy in Annapolis for justice for incarcerated lifers on such bills, Lifers bill and Juvenile Lifer bill. He is writing a book on Conflict Resolution called Mutual Ground coming soon.