CHICAGO—In collaboration with local community organizations, artists and community advocates, Brother Qadir Hakim, aka Goalden Chyld, hosted a successful unity concert at St. Sabina Church on the city’s Southside.
The concert also included a powerful panel discussion in which participants focused on “squashing the beef” in their community. The January 13 event was very well attended and Nation of Islam Student Ministers Caleb Muhammad and Abdul Muhammad were in attendance.
Goalden Chyld, a Muslim music artist, told The Final Call that attendees at the gathering were very excited and grateful. “One brother stated that he’s been wanting to unite and put aside the beef he had with other gang members, he just didn’t know how many other people felt the same way and the unity concert and panel discussion was an eye opener for him. He felt like he found a new family and a new home.”
Goalden Chyld shared that the young brother, several other attendees and women who were in the audience acknowledged and agreed that there is a need for strong, Black men in Black communities.
“The participants received it very well and are looking forward to the next one which we are scheduling for May and plan to have more of our student ministers on the panel.”
He said that if he could do it again, he would invite the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, whom he believes the attendees and participants have tremendous respect for.
“All praises are due to Allah (God)! I would like to thank the Nation (Nation of Islam) for helping to make this a success,” he said.
The event was sponsored by Father Michael Pfleger, senior pastor of St. Sabina; Young Will (Eye of the Trenches); The Black Fire Brigade; Soul Vegetarian Restaurant; and the nonprofit Busy Body’s Inc. Goalden Chyld expressed a personal thank you to the F.O.I. (Fruit of Islam, the men of the Nation of Islam) for helping to secure the gathering so it was a safe and fun evening.
