Bobby Akbar '01 : Living an American tradition of service
Bobby Akbar '01
If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.
That’s what they say, and it’s a safe bet someone like Bobby Akbar ’01 would fill the bill. Ultra-busy and mega-committed to a variety of causes and passions, he still keeps his primary focus on his whirling dervish of a family: wife Kasheema, 11-year-old son Tahje and daughter Tahjeah (they’re twins), and daughter Asiyah, 7.
Report card day is apparently no problem in the Akbar household. “All ‘A’s this time,” Akbar proudly reports. He pauses to think about it. “Maybe when your dad’s a teacher, you know grades are important,” he says.
How about an award-winning teacher? Akbar’s fifth-grade class at Franklin Elementary School in his hometown of Rahway, N.J., was excited last year when word came down that their Mr. Akbar was among six others honored by the New Jersey Department of State Amistad Commission.
“For an exemplary job of promoting high achievement and integrating African-American history into their curriculum,” reads the award.
You bet he’s “exemplary.”
Akbar’s tone may be modest, but we know the topic he won the award for is close to his heart. “African-American history is American history,” he says. “It’s not separate. My goal is to show that there’s a rich history of tradition in this community.”
As coordinator of the Black History Month celebration each year at Franklin Elementary, he more than does his part to bring this important message of respect and achievement to our next generation.
Throughout the year, students in Akbar’s class research and report on Rahway citizens who have been successful in sports, education and community activism. One honoree, Rahway High School alumnus Earl Clark, is now a star player on the University of Louisville basketball team.
Students blog with Clark about his college experience and keep up with his career. “We use geography to keep track of his road trips and use math to discuss basketball statistics,” Akbar says. It’s a stroke of teaching genius.
Akbar clearly understands that children can be lured into learning in many ways. Last year, he launched a ‘contest’ in which the students who read the most books would be invited to compete in the school’s March Madness basketball tournament. Refereeing
one of those games was none other than the celebrated Earl Clark.
“It’s important for these young people to see how things are relevant to their lives,” Akbar says. “But I also want them to see more than that which is readily available to them.”
“Bobby was always very aware of the greater world beyond himself,” says WestConn Enrollment Management Officer Bill Hawkins, who befriended Akbar while he was a student here. “He loved sports and learning, and he’s obviously managed to combine those two things.”
These days, in addition to teaching, Akbar also coaches varsity football at Rahway High School. His title there is assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Here, too, he has sought to blend his two perspectives. His book, “What It Means To Wear The Red And Black, 100 Years of Rahway High School Indians Football,” was written last year as a facts-and-figures compilation highlighting the history of Rahway Football.
“I wanted to pay tribute to my high school alma mater and to acknowledge the history and tradition of Rahway football,” Akbar says. Currently he is at work on another book, a comprehensive view of all sports at Rahway High School.
“A classic example of the indomitable spirit — that’s Bobby,” says Professor Emeritus of Communication and Theatre Arts Bill Walton, a favorite instructor of Akbar’s. “He has a passion for learning and helping others. He certainly grew as an individual while he was a student here.”
This kind of self-discovery and evolving is a meaningful concept to Akbar. It was during his time at WestConn that he began to pursue deeper insights, determined to act on his sense of responsibility to become the best person he could be. Ultimately it would lead him to decide to take on a new and meaningful surname.
“I was taking a course in African-American literature with (Professor of Anthropology) Rob Whittemore,” he recalls. “We were discussing an African tribe of people, each of whom named themselves. I liked that idea. I knew that in African history, a king called Akbar was said to be one who served his people well. He seemed like someone I could identify with and aspire to be like.”
He changed his name to Akbar. What did not change was the fact that the roots of public service had always run deep in his family. “My grandfather, whose name was Harvey Williams, was a councilman,” he offers with quiet pride.
Last November, Akbar himself ran for the same seat, winning city council with two-thirds of the vote. “I’m very excited to be part of an effort to revitalize this town and make it place a better place to live,” he says.
He credits this same grandfather for inspiring him to work hard and set goals. Despite the load of two full-time jobs –– and the birth of twins that year –– Akbar graduated from WestConn in 2001 with a double major: a B.S. in Elementary Education and a B.A. in Communication and Theatre Arts.
“Bobby always showed himself to be smart, outgoing and a natural leader on campus,” says Daryle Dennis, assistant dean of the Office of Student Affairs. “He remains committed to giving something back to his community, whether it’s here at WestConn or back home in the classrooms of Rahway. We’re very proud to have him as an alumnus.”
