JALIL MUHAMMAD

Jalil Muhammad, a native of Rahway, New Jersey, was born into a closely-knit family that inculcated in him from an early age the importance of servicing society’s weakest and most dispossessed. Known throughout his community for his leadership skills and involvement in social programs, Jalil has distinguished himself as a transformational educator, paradigm shifting school leader, and motivational community activist. 

During his matriculation at Howard University, Jalil led the campaign to reestablish a series of important student groups, assisted in the organization of several national student conferences and developed a cadre of student leaders and activist. 

Jalil obtained his undergraduate degree in History from Howard University in 2011 and his graduate degree in Teaching Social Studies from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education. 

Over the last seven years, Jalil has expanded his knowledge of history, politics and culture by travelling the world and teaching social studies in one of the largest public-school districts in the country. During his tenure as a public high school teacher, Jalil distinguished himself as a passionate and results-driven educator. Under his guidance, Advanced Placement standardized test scores increased six-fold, consistently ranking his student among the highest achieving in the district. 

Jalil has been featured in dozens of periodicals including The Hilltop, The Chicago Defender, The Star Ledger and The Amsterdam News. His commitment to academic excellence and service to those most in need has made him the recipient of several awards near and dear to his heart, including the Woodrow Wilson – Rockefeller Brothers Fellowship, the Charles and Williston H. Lofton Scholarship Fund, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Community Service Award. 

Jalil is currently a first-year law student at Columbia Law School. Upon graduation, he plans on pursuing a career in Civil Rights litigation and politics.