East Liberty shop owner showed persistence, determination
Jamil Brookins never looked for a hand up or a handout. And he certainly never got one.
Despite the rising costs of operating a retail business and the constant pressure of invading development squeezing out the businesses around him, Mr. Brookins maintained a thriving shop — Jamil’s Global Village — on Penn Avenue in East Liberty for 24 years, without loans, tax incentives or other breaks.
“He was able to become successful with his own ideas, and this was rare, especially among the AfricanAmerican community,” said his son, Rafiq Brookins. “It was his persistence and determination. He got no loans or anything. For years, he vended on the streets and he saved up money and got this place.”
Mr. Brookins, 70, of the North Side, died Sept. 9 after a nine-month battle with urinary cancer, but not before leaving a legacy for his community and his children.
“He traveled the world, raised his family and supported a community, all with his own ideas his own dreams and ambitions,” said Rafiq Brookins, 32, of the Hill District, who will continue operating the store with his siblings.
A devout Muslim, Mr. Brookins was buried within 15 hours of his death — Islamic tradition calls for burial within 24 hours — after his body was washed by his son and his wife, Rashida Brookins. They shrouded him in the clothes he had worn during a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 2005.
Despite the short notice and pouring rain, more than 200 mourners attended the service, said Mrs. Brookins, 69.
“I didn’t expect anybody to show up,” she said. “We all stood in the rain that day.”
The turnout didn’t surprise Wasi Mohamed, executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, where Mr. Brookins was one of the leaders of the religious community.
“For as long as anyone can remember, he’s been one of the rocks of the community and one of the most active community members,” said Mr. Mohamed, who said Mr. Brookins often donated prayer mats, beads and scented oils to new members or for religious ceremonies.
Mr. Brookins contributed in other ways as well, Mr. Mohamed said.
“He went overseas and got this beautiful piece of art that he could have sold, but he donated it,” Mr. Mohamed said. “It raised $5,000 for our fundraiser.”
Rain or shine, Mr. Brookins could be found at prayer services every morning at 5 a.m.
“He was always there waiting,” Mr. Mohamed said. “He’d be the first one in the door and he would make the prayer call every morning.”
Born in Pittsburgh’s West End, Mr. Brookins converted to Islam in 1975, shortly after he returned from the Vietnam War, where he served as a Marine.
A voracious reader, Mr. Brookins especially loved books about world religions. When a friend recommended that he read the Quran, he couldn’t put it down.
“It just made more sense than anything else he’d studied,” Mrs. Brookins said. “It sounded like the truth.”
He met his wife on Dec. 25, 1978 — and the couple married just hours later.
“There’s no dating or courting in Muslim, and basically what happens is when a man approaches a woman, he approaches her for marriage,” the former Rashida Leeper said.
“He wanted a wife and I wanted a husband, so our friends set us up,” she said. “We both wanted to do this thing right. We wanted to follow the rules.”
Three months after their wedding ceremony, the two were wed legally.
Mr. Brookins worked for many years as an ironworker, and his wife remembers visiting him for lunch once, as he was perched high atop one of the spires of the PPG Building during its construction in Downtown.
“We started thinking about going into business for ourselves,” she remembered. “After work, he would go door to door selling incense, oil and jewelry. Then he started selling on the street as a vendor and at flea markets and festivals.”
Once the couple realized that a market existed for their goods, they began looking for a shop to purchase. In 1994, they found the location at 6024 Penn Ave.
Mrs. Brookins said one of their favorite places to travel was Africa, where they would source items for their shop and would often buy from villagers who made items, ranging from clothing to carpets, to books, furniture and jewelry.
Mr. Brookins loved to regale shop visitors with stories about the continent and its people.
When he was recognized in 2012 with a community business award, Mr. Brookins talked a bit about the challenges of being a minority business owner.
“It has been a huge struggle for us and we say this without any reservations that it is truly by the grace of God and our loyal customers that we have survived the many obstacles that have been thrown our way,” Mr. Brookins said in a Pittsburgh Courier story. “Maintaining a black business in America is no easy task, and having a black business survive in Pittsburgh for 17 years is nothing short of a miracle!”
Maelene J. Myers, executive director of East Liberty Development, Inc. said the loss of Mr. Brookins would impact the neighborhood.
“Jamil has been a staple in this community for many, many years,” she said. “I remember when I came to Pittsburgh in 1996 and met Jamil, my first memory of him was his entrepreneurship and how he came from being a street vendor to having his own shop. He also introduced me to many skin care products that I still use to this very day.
“Over the years, Jamil has continued to be more than just a business owner, but also a respected representation of hard work, perseverance and a steadfast reminder of the history of this community. We are honored to have known him and been a part of his iconic presence in East Liberty.”
Mrs. Brookins will observe “iddah,” a mourning period practiced by Muslim widows for four months and 10 days. But, she will feel her loss much longer.
“We were together every single day for 40 years,” she said. “When I would say something, he would finish my sentence. That’s the way we were with each other. We were like a hand and an arm.”
Mr. Brookins’ death also will be acutely felt by the Muslim community, Mr. Mohamed said.
“Jamil was an institution,” he said. “It’s a huge loss for this community.”
Along with his wife and son, Mr. Brookins is survived by daughters Baiyinah Brookins of the North Side and Nurideen Brookins of Penn Hills; and another son, Imad Brookins of Indonesia.