Halimah Basheer Carries Forward a Legacy of Leadership Through BUILDing Youthful Warriors

Leadership, service, and community empowerment are at the heart of the work being carried forward by Halimah Basheer, Executive Director of the BUILD Program and the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI). On June 27, Basheer will continue her family’s longstanding commitment to youth development by hosting BUILDing Youthful Warriors, a leadership and community safety workshop designed to inspire and equip young people ages 12 to 27.

Taking place in Los Angeles, the event will bring together youth from diverse backgrounds for a day centered on mentorship, leadership development, conflict resolution, and community engagement. More than just a workshop, the gathering represents the continuation of a powerful legacy established by Basheer’s late father, Dr. Aquil F. Basheer.

For more than 50 years, Dr. Basheer was a respected leader in community-based public safety, youth development, leadership training, and Community Violence Intervention (CVI). Long before CVI became a nationally recognized approach, he championed strategies focused on prevention, mentorship, emotional intelligence, family strengthening, and community empowerment. Throughout his career, he mentored and trained more than 250,000 individuals, helping transform lives and neighborhoods across the country.

Today, Halimah Basheer is building upon that foundation through BUILD and PCITI, organizations dedicated to developing future leaders and creating safer, healthier communities.

“BUILDing Youthful Warriors is important because our youth are not only the future, they are leaders right now,” Basheer tells Sheen. “This workshop is designed to equip young people with practical skills in emotional intelligence, leadership development, conflict resolution, community violence intervention, prevention, and community safety awareness.”

Participants will engage in leadership exercises, interactive learning experiences, networking opportunities, and mentorship sessions led by community leaders and guest speakers. The workshop is designed to help young people develop confidence, strengthen communication skills, and become positive influences within their schools, families, and communities.

A key focus of the event is expanding opportunities for youth engagement beyond a single day. Basheer hopes to connect participants with ongoing leadership development programs offered through BUILD and PCITI, creating pathways for young people to become future community advocates, mentors, and changemakers.

At a time when communities across the nation continue searching for solutions to violence and social challenges, BUILD and PCITI remain committed to addressing root causes through relationship-building, conflict mediation, youth empowerment, and community ownership.

For Basheer, the mission is deeply personal.

“My father taught us that public safety is not something done to a community—it is something built with a community,” she says. “Through BUILD and PCITI, we remain committed to putting the public back in public safety by developing leaders, empowering youth, strengthening families, and creating safer, healthier communities from the inside out.”

As she continues to honor her father’s vision, Halimah Basheer is helping shape a new generation of leaders—young people equipped not only to navigate challenges, but to create meaningful change in their communities for years to come.

The BUILDing Youthful Warriors workshop will take place on June 27 in Los Angeles, welcoming youth ages 12 to 27 who are ready to learn, lead, and make a difference. Click the link HERE to RSVP.

Photo Credit: Daamin Durden