A Day With Jabbar

I spent a day with my Brother, Phoenix based entrepreneur, Abdul Jabbar. I shadowed him while he worked in his father’s Convenience store, RJ Liquors, on the west side of Phoenix, Arizona.

It was Monday Nov. 23rd, 2015 and the local high school had just released it’s students for the day. When I walked into the store Jabbar was talking to a customer via the drive thru window by his register. I assumed it was a regular because of the tone they took with each other, it was lighthearted and they joked around in a way that I’ve seen and heard Jabbar do so many times before. Once the customer drove away and Jabbar noticed me standing in front of the register, he welcomed me and offered me a drink from the store. I declined. I was expecting such hospitality from a friend I’ve known for so long but it’s always nice to experience it in a time and place where relations between people of different cultures is sometimes known to be testy. Not here, not now.

RJ Liqours is owned by Abdul’s father. They’re from Palestine and the store is in a Latino neighborhood in Phoenix. Jabbar and I stood close to the entrance of the store while we spoke about a number of topics. Teens from the high school filtered in and walked between us while we spoke over their heads about a proposed Muslim ban from the, now, President of the United States. The conversation was a personal one. There was great emotion involved, anger, grief, and we even joked around a bit to lighten the mood. It was not an easy conversation to have.

Arizona has an unfortunate history of dealing with people of different cultures and backgrounds. From it’s incredibly Anti-Latino past to it’s slow acknowledgement of Martin Luther King’s legacy. There is also the moment Jabbar recalled to me, the armed anti-muslim protest. There was a sternness in his voice as he described the moment he saw men express their hatred for his religion and his people, all while standing feet away from him.

“I almost lost it.” he said reflectively. Luckily there were people around him, there to protect the mosque, who served as a form of comfort.

His father was in the store with us, working hard to keep up with the influx of teenagers fresh from a long day at Maryvale high school. Jabbar quickly noticed this and went to help him. I sat next to him behind the counter while he worked as I took some photos I would later decide not to use. We then went outside and took a few more shots.

Abdul Jabbar is a close friend of mine and I cherish the little moments we’ve had together. This was one of those moments.

I look back on it today, almost three years later, one day after the travel restrictions from President Trump fulfill one of his main campaign promises. In the present day Jabbar tells me his family is “Dealing with the nonsense.”

See a few of my favorite photos from that day below.