Saint Paul, MN — Dr. Kasim Abdur Razzaq is dedicated to helping others achieve mental health and wellbeing. As a mental health professional, he has long been fascinated by how people understand complex ideas. He works to find ways to give people language and meaning for their personal experiences. His experiences as a Black Muslim man have helped him understand the importance of cultural context and roots for the people he helps. He believes true healing for Black communities is tied to understanding the traumas that have affected all Black people. During his Bush Fellowship, he will focus on his own health practices as he works to build his capacity to inspire and support more Black mental health professionals.
What has informed your approach to leading change in your community?
Family, community and experience. I've grown up around folks from a family and a community dynamic where leadership is always about service. And more explicitly, it's about direct service on the ground. My approach to this work is as an observer participant.
What have you done that you are most proud of?
I’m most proud of my own desire, will, and consciousness to continue working on improving and making myself better. In this work that I'm doing, I’m trying to be a better human being so that I reflect the things that I'm hoping to offer other people.
What is your favorite quote or expression?
A verse from the Quran, “God will not change the condition of a people until they first change what is within themselves.” When you look at someone and you see them in pain, or when you see someone's joy, those are the things that connect us as human beings.
The other one is from my father. He used to always say, “The same thing that makes you happy makes you sad.” From a therapeutic standpoint, it resonates. When a person feels hurt, a lot of times it's because of the failure to acknowledge what they have gone through and how that shapes and informs who they are. When someone acknowledges that, it can bring them joy.
