The Foundation History
The Incredible Birth of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation: How My Grief
& Despair Were Transformed into Powerful Social Action
By Azim Khamisa
On April 7, 1995 (10 weeks after Tariq’s death), I drove to Mammoth Mountain in Southern California to spend a few days in solitude and reflection to help calm my inner storms. My thoughts drifted back to the conversation with my spiritual teacher and his teachings about the soul’s journey. I knew Tariq was at peace, even though I was not. I began to understand that to find peace for myself, I needed to find something that I could do for Tariq, for his journey. This grief had to be broken – or at least set aside – for both our sakes. The phrases "spiritual currency" and "fuel for the journey of the soul" kept playing in my mind.
So, it was high up in the mountains in front of the fire on a chilly April
night that I got my first inspiration about what I might do. "What
if I became a foe — not of the boy who killed my son, but of the forces
which led him to kill my son? What if I reached out as far as I possibly
could, and devoted myself to fighting the plague of youth violence?"
The first inkling of what was to become TKF had been born. It was as if
three strands of longing had come together to form a slender lifeline: to
do something for Tariq; to do something for my country; and to do something
for myself.
I came down from the mountains with a new purpose. I started talking to almost everyone I knew about my concept for a Foundation in my son’s name. The response was incredible. Everyone offered to help. The next six months were filled with the planning, communications, and resource hunting required to launch a non-profit organization. My close friends Dan Pearson, Kit Goldman, and Mike Reynolds ("Rojo") joined me, serving as my core team.
After months of hard work, the first meeting of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF) took place on October 26, 1995 at my home in La Jolla, California. My modest townhouse was packed with about 50 people who were committed to my vision. Immediately afterwards, I told San Diego prosecutor Peter Deddeh that I wanted to meet Ples Felix, the grandfather and guardian of Tony Hicks, Tariq’s killer.
One short week later, on Friday, November 3rd at the office of Tony’s attorney,
I met Ples Felix for the first time. Ples shared that he had been holding
my family and me in his daily prayers and meditation. I then told Ples that
I felt no animosity towards him or his family, and that I believed both
his family and mine were victimized by this tragic incident. I was pleased
to discover in Ples a faith as strong as my own, and a similar burning desire
to end the plague of youth violence. Ples pledged to help with the work
of the Foundation in any way he could.
I invited Ples to attend the second meeting of the Foundation the following week. With great courage and grace, Ples walked alone into my home that evening. The house was filled with my family, friends and colleagues, including Tariq’s mother, his grandparents, Tariq’s sister Tasreen, and his aunt. I can’t imagine the courage it took for Ples to face these 50 people who had known and loved Tariq. Ples spoke eloquently to the group, coming from his huge heart. After Ples and I had finished speaking that evening, there was not a dry eye in the house. A total of $8000 was collected to launch the Tariq Khamisa Foundation. TKF was born…. and the TKF Journey had begun.
Highlights Along the TKF Journey (Timeline)
January 1995
San Diego State University student Tariq Khamisa is tragically killed by
a 14-year-old gang member, Tony Hicks, while delivering pizzas in San Diego,
California.
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October 1995
Azim Khamisa starts the Tariq Khamisa Foundation in his son’s memory "to
stop children from killing children." Azim reaches out in forgiveness
to Ples Felix, the grandfather and guardian of his son’s killer, and invites
him to join in the work of the Foundation.
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April 1996
Tony Hicks pleads guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Tariq Khamisa
and is sentenced to 25-years-to-life in an adult prison. At age 16, he is
sent to New Folsom, California State Prison in Sacramento.
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July 1996
TKF presents its first Violence Impact Forum (VIF) assembly at Birney Elementary
School in San Diego where Tony Hicks had been a student just three years
prior.
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Spring 1997
TKF receives a $100,000 grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC),
which is used to further develop the VIF program and produce the powerful
"Too Many Victims" video.
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January 1998
Tasreen Khamisa, Tariq’s "big sister," moves to San Diego from
Seattle to work along side her father, Azim Khamisa, at the Foundation.
Tasreen starts work in February as TKF’s Assistant Executive Director. TKF
continues to present its powerful VIF program to students in the 4th – 9th
grades.
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December 1999
Channel One Educational TV network develops a 12-minute video segment on
the TKF story, produced from live interviews with Azim, Ples, and Tasreen.
This special violence prevention program was broadcast via the classroom
to 12,000 public and private schools in 47 states (including D.C.), reaching
more than 8 million high school students and 400,000 educators.
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March 2000
TKF kicks off its very successful "San Diego Forum Against Youth Violence."
During the next eight months, TKF presents VIF programs at 70 elementary
and middle schools throughout San Diego County, reaching almost 18,000 students
in the 4th – 6th grades. Many new collaborative partnerships are begun.
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April 2000
Azim Khamisa and Tony Hicks (now age 19) meet for the first time, face to
face, at Folsom Prison, culminating a remarkable journey of healing and
forgiveness for both men.
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October 2000
Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix speak to an audience of over 10,000 Columbus,
Ohio 6th graders in a special VIF presentation held on the campus of Ohio
State University.
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March 2001
In the same month, the San Diego community is shocked by tragic shootings
at Santana High School & Granite Hills High School. These two local
school shootings further reinforce the urgent need to address the problem
of youth violence and find better ways to prevent these types of tragedies.
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May 2001
In response, TKF takes a lead role in the formation and development of the
San Diego Coalition to Prevent Youth Violence (CPYV), which is comprised
of nearly 40 youth advocacy and youth violence prevention organizations.
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September 2001
With funding by The California Endowment & a private foundation, TKF
begins a 10-month, consultant led feasibility study to perform a comprehensive
evaluation and refinement of its VIF program and to develop a new program
component – TKF PeaceWorks. The study, completed in July 2002, concludes
that the VIF works, and works best for the kids who need it most! Learn
more.
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October 2001
TKF partners with the San Diego Unified School District in their "Day
of National Concern" activities, urging an estimated 90,000 students
to take a pledge against gun violence.
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Fall 2001
With assistance from State Senator Steve Peace, TKF receives a $200,000
grant from the State of California to help fund the majority of TKF’s VIF
programs in San Diego County for the next fiscal year.
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February 2002
TKF forms the "TKF Circle of Peace" - its first Youth Advisory
Council comprised of 14 students from Farb Middle School in San Diego (Tierrasanta
area) to provide valuable student input into TKF’s programs and services.
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September 2002
TKF begins the pilot test of a new program component entitled TKF PeaceWorks.
This 16-week, post-VIF program is taking place at Kroc Middle School in
San Diego, involving 17 classes and approximately 500 students.
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November 2007
TKF was awarded a three-year Peace Empowerment Project grant which funded four full-time program coordinators to be based at a cluster of schools in the Encanto area. Those schools include: Morse SHS, Bell MS, Audubon ES, Boone ES, Encanto ES, Fulton ES, and Valencia Park ES. TKF full-time staff doubled by the end of 2007!