Meet Nadir Salaam
AUTHOR | EDUCATOR | STORYTELLER | ADVOCATE
Every community has stories that deserve to be remembered. Through writing, historical research, education, and public conversations, Nadir Salaam is dedicated to preserving overlooked narratives while inspiring future generations to understand the power of history, identity, and legacy.
Born and raised in New Haven , Nirule ( born as Nadir Abdul-Salaam) has a deep insight and connection to New Haven history. A descendent of Reverend John W. Davis, who raised the money to build the current Varick AME ZION church, Nirule continues his family's 120 plus years tradition of community activism in New Haven. What makes Nirules' perspective unique is that through his unique life experiences he has the ability to connect academic theory to real life creating a portrait of New Haven and the black community that is seldom discussed.
Nirule graduated from Hillhouse and attended Georgia State University in Atlanta. During his second week as a freshman he learned one of his best friends was killed due to police violence. This experience changed his entire perspective of the world.
Nirule is a serial entrepreneur. His T-shirt company garnered national attention and was featured in many print and film placements. His company became popular for turning corporate logos into black cultural phrases. He would travel all over the East Coast selling goods. Growing up in the Newhallville neighborhood of New Haven and then traveling throughout the various black neighborhoods along the East Coast, Midwest, and the South Nirule began to appreciate how unique the black experience in New Haven is. And also how similar. This began to peak his curiosity further once he relocated back to New Haven.
New Haven was experiencing an increase in Communal violence and Nirule was losing friends and attending funerals. He started working with New Haven public schools as an aide to connect with the children of his peers that are in need of a positive male role model.
Nirule started working inside Preschool classrooms. Nirule and his brother opened up a Bookstore in partnership with the popular New Haven barber TY. They wanted to create an environment where ideas and knowledge can be exchanged. They also started a YouTube channel where they would have discussions in Edgewood park about varying topics.
Nirule partnered up with local artists and entrepreneurs to create a multimedia studio named The Ivy League LLC where they created a business/art hub for developing marketing materials to promote small businesses and artist. We also played the role of mentor to the young men and women that would visit the business. It also provided a safe space for the black community on
Yales Campus.
https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/common_ground_found_on_common_core/
The activism didn't stop. The young entrepreneurs were vocal about the Inequality that is being presented in the city and the oppressive influence Yale has. They did interviews and produced propaganda material to spark conversations. At times the methods were controversial. This inspired Nirule to create something to tell New Haven's History from a black perspective https://www.nhregister.com/opinion/article/Shahid-Abdul-Karim-Images-that-perpetuate-black-11381181.php
.https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/with_women_on_leashes_studios_video_goes_viral/
Nirules professional career led him to the Seattle area where he currently works as a preschool teacher and also a member of the Africatown Center for Education and Innovation.. He decided to turn his research into a documentary. Then when he learned of the Google Creators Program with PRX he turned the research into a documentary podcast, where he can go more in depth into each topic. Unfortunately he wasn't chosen for the program , so he had to figure out an alternative route to produce the show.
After more than a decade in production, the crisis of the pandemic and racial injustice expedited the need for this story to be told. So in July 2020 Nirule launched the first episodes of the gritty documentary podcast Young Adults Learning Evil.
More information: https://www.flowcode.com/page/youngadultslearningevil
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