[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 151 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO MALIK AHMED, FOUNDER AND CEO, BETTER FAMILY LIFE, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2005

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Malik Ahmed, 
the founder and chief executive officer of Better Family Life, Inc., a 
holistic cultural and community development corporation he founded in 
February 1983. He has pioneered the concept of synthesizing and 
blending the imperatives of African-American culture with the 
complexities of community and economic development.
  Better Family Life is dedicated to the prosperity and growth of the 
African-American family, as well as the preservation of culture, 
consciousness and community. Organized out of a need to find internal 
solutions to the crises within the African-American family, the 
organization's mission is to plan and establish social, cultural, 
artistic, youth, economic, housing and educational programs that help 
to promote positive and innovative changes within the metropolitan St. 
Louis and East St. Louis communities.
  Under his leadership Better Family Life, Inc. has grown to include a 
full-time professional staff of more than 70, with 30 percent of the 
staff having advanced degrees. Recently, the organization purchased the 
former Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School at 5415 Page Boulevard, in 
St. Louis, MO. When the $4 million renovation is completed, the three-
story facility will be home to the Better Family Life Cultural Center & 
Museum, housing corporate offices and four--job training--community 
programs: Project RESPECT--job training--Neighbor-to-Neighbor Housing 
Counseling & Asset Building, Youth Passport to the Future and Cultural 
Arts.
  Other Better Family Life programs include the annual Kwanzaa Expo and 
the Unity Ball extravaganza. The 20th annual Unity Ball has grown to 
include approximately 1,500 attendees and honors numerous community 
leaders, elders, youth, movers and shakers at all levels. Recently, in 
response to this country's worst disaster on record, Better Family 
Life, along with the Millions More Movement, spearheaded a relief drive 
for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, sending an 18-wheel tractor-
trailer filled with donations from the St. Louis community to 
Hattiesburg, MS.
  Prior to founding Better Family Life, Mr. Ahmed was a registered 
representative with the prestigious financial planning firm, The Moneta 
Group. An avid collector of fine art and literature, he is president of 
B4 Positive Products and Marketing, a business he founded in 1989 to 
network, market and distribute books and African artifacts.
  Mr. Ahmed has traveled extensively throughout the United States and 
abroad. He speaks fluent French. As a Peace Corps volunteer, he worked 
for 3 years as an urban planner in the West African country of Mali, 
where he successfully developed a cost-effective sanitation program for 
the capital city of Bamako. Mr. Ahmed holds a bachelor's degree in 
economics and a master's degree in public administration/policy 
analysis. He is the recipient of many community service awards and 
serves on various boards. He is married to DeBorah and they have one 
son, Shabazz.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognized Mr. Malik Ahmed before the 
United States House of Representatives for his tireless dedication to 
the development of culture, community and self-improvement among 
minorities in St. Louis.

                          ____________________