Growing up in Dallas, Malik Alexander remembers his neighborhood as more than just a collection of houses; it was a community. “People actually knew each other,” he says. “Not just a ‘nod and keep walking’ type of thing — we looked out for one another.”
The rhythm of life there was built on humor, honesty, music, and survival. “We praised each other out loud and corrected each other quietly,” he reflects. That balance, he says, taught him one of his earliest and most enduring lessons: community is not a convenience — it’s a responsibility.
At home, education and faith went hand in hand. “My parents were very present — emotionally, physically, spiritually,” Malik says. “Faith in Jesus lived in our house, not just on Sundays. My mom prayed with me. My dad modeled discipline. They didn’t preach prosperity; they preached purpose.”…