Dr. Jamal Randy Allen Rasheed deserves a distinguished place in the TRUTHSEEKERS HALL OF FAME because he has dedicated his life to education, historical preservation, public health, nonviolence, faith, and service to future generations.

Dr. Rasheed understands that seeking truth involves more than questioning accepted accounts—it also means recovering neglected history, preserving the experiences of forgotten people, and ensuring that young people can learn from those who came before them.

As founder and president of the Ellis County African American Hall of Fame Museum and Library, Dr. Rasheed has helped preserve the achievements, struggles, and contributions of African Americans in Ellis County. The museum’s mission encourages students, teachers, and citizens to explore African American history while developing critical thinking and creativity. The museum opened in 2016 inside a historic 1926 building that once housed the Colored Knights of Pythias Hall and later the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge. Learn about the Ellis County African American Hall of Fame.

His commitment to preservation extends to the Prince Hall Fraternal Cemetery in Waxahachie, where approximately 300 people are buried. As president of the cemetery association, Dr. Rasheed has worked to restore this historic burial ground and protect the memories of the people laid to rest there. Read about his cemetery-preservation work.

Dr. Rasheed is also a sociologist, educator, author, curriculum developer, film producer, and servant of God. His professional experience encompasses secondary education, criminal justice, juvenile and adult probation, behavior management, prostate-cancer education, and youth development. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Southern Illinois University, a Master of Arts in Sociology from Prairie View A&M University, and completed doctoral studies in African American Ministry. Read Dr. Rasheed’s full biographical profile.

In 1984, he participated in the King Scholars Program at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change under the direction of Coretta Scott King. Her encouragement to go out and make a difference helped inspire his “From Every Mountainside Non-Violence” Peace Advocate Program, a curriculum addressing violence and bullying among school-aged children.

Dr. Rasheed has carried the search for truth into the field of public health. He has provided prostate-cancer education and encouraged men to obtain potentially lifesaving screenings. His biography reports that cities and counties across North Texas honored this work and that President George W. Bush recognized his prostate-cancer education initiative in 2002. This service demonstrates that truth can save lives—especially when a dedicated educator places reliable health information into the hands of people who need it.

His knowledge and leadership have also been recognized in academic settings. In 2023, the University of Texas at Arlington invited him to speak at its “Unfinished Art of Identity” symposium, where he participated as president of the Ellis County African American Hall of Fame. Read Dr. Rasheed’s University of Texas at Arlington profile.

Through his books and public presentations, Dr. Rasheed continues to examine history, faith, community, and the experiences of Black Americans. His work encourages people to look beneath the surface, ask meaningful questions, and preserve knowledge that might otherwise disappear. Explore books by Dr. Jamal Rasheed.

What makes Dr. Rasheed especially worthy of the TRUTHSEEKERS HALL OF FAME is the way he transforms knowledge into action. He does not preserve history simply for display. He uses history to educate young people, strengthen communities, honor ancestors, confront prejudice, encourage nonviolence, and inspire service to humanity.

His guiding philosophy summarizes his mission:

“Each one should teach one, take a youth by the hand, teach them to understand, and lead them to serve mankind where he will be a part of the solution, not the problem.”

These are the words of an educator, mentor, preservationist, and truthseeker. Dr. Jamal Rasheed has devoted his life to bringing overlooked history into the light and using truth to improve the lives of others. For his courage, scholarship, compassion, faith, and many years of community service, Dr. Jamal Randy Allen Rasheed has earned his place in the TRUTHSEEKERS HALL OF FAME.

Additional links

• Dr. Rasheed’s LinkedIn profile
• Dr. Rasheed’s Facebook page
• Watch the supplied YouTube presentation
• Watch an interview with Dr. Rasheed about Bessie Coleman’s legacy
• Ellis County African American Hall of Fame information

waxahachiecvb.com

Ellis County African American Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame is housed in a 1926 historically black former Knights of Pythias hall that later became a Prince Hall Masonic Lodge.