Biography of Balozi R.M.Z. Harvey
Balozi Zayd Muhammad aka Robert Alexander Harvey was born in East Orange, New Jersey to the proud parents of Clifton Harvey and Willie Belle Harvey on January 26, 1940. Early in his childhood, Balozi was mentored about his Black race, African values, and African-American legacy by his father, a close aide to Marcus Garvey and an activist in the Pan-African (Back-to-Africa) Movement. Balozi would follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming an advocate for African-American empowerment and Pan-African solidarity and cooperation. He made a pledge to his father that when he grew up he would help his African-American brothers and sisters discover and live their true African heritage long before the concept became popular in the 1960’s. Balozi’s early years of education were spent within the City of East Orange Public Schools system, and graduated in 1957 from East Orange High School.
In 1957, immediately after graduation, he joined the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force and, after four years of service, was honorably discharged in 1961. Thereafter, Balozi enrolled at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, where he majored in Political Science. He later attended the United Nations Language School in New York City where he learned Swahili, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic and Zulu.
In 1964, Balozi became a personal guest of the most esteemed statesman President Julius K. “Mwalimu” Nyerere of the United Republic of Tanzania, a proponent of North-South Dialogue who named him “Balozi” (Swahili word for ambassador and/ or statesman). In 1966, 18 months after his return to the United States, he served as the Job Recruiter for Tanzania, in which capacity he placed many African-Americans in professional and technical positions in Tanzania.
In 1965, Balozi converted from Roman Catholicism to the Islamic Faith by joining the Nation of Islam, led by Prophet Elijah Muhammad. Thereupon, he assumed the Muslim name Zayd Muhammad.
In 1967, Balozi founded and became Chairman of the Black Community Development Organization (BCD), a grass-roots community organization helping to instill Afrocentric values and empower African-Americans in Newark and throughout New Jersey. Working together with Newark Councilman Donald Tucker, Amiri Baraka, Mfundishi Maasi, and Dr. Karenga, the concept of the National Black Power Conference to establish a national Black Party was conceived. In the wake of the Newark Riots of 1967, Amiri Baraka urged Balozi and Mfundishi to join him in taking the Voters Rights Bill fight on the road to Detroit, Chicago, Gary, and other parts of the Midwest. History was made in America with the election of Richard G. Hatcher as the first Black Mayor of Gary, Indiana, as well as the first African-American mayor of an American city of more than 100,000 persons. Balozi attended the inaugural Kwanzaa celebration launched by Dr. Malanga Karenga in Los Angeles, California in 1967.
In 1970, buoyed by the success in Gary, Balozi, Newark Councilman Donald Tucker, Dr. Mulana Karenga , Amiri Baraka, Mfundishi Maasi mushroomed their grassroots efforts into a power-to-the-people movement that led to mass support for the campaign and election of Engineer Kenneth Gibson in 1970 as the first black Mayor of Newark, New Jersey’s largest and most populous city. From 1970 to 1973, Balozi functioned as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Representative to the United Nations for the Congress of African People (CAP). The Congress was formed in 1970 by Amiri Baraka and, until its demise, made significant contributions to the black power movement, as well as the broader civil rights struggle. Its agenda promoted the National Black Convention, the National Black Assembly, African Liberation Day, African Liberation Support Committee, and the Black Women’s United Front. During this time at the United Nations, Balozi also served as the Impresario for the Ballet Africana (National Dance Troupe of the Republic of Guinea) at the request of the Guinean government.
From 1973-1977, Balozi served as the Director of Drug & Alcohol Control for the City of East Orange, New Jersey. Thereafter, in 1977-1982, Balozi was employed as a Special Aide in the Office of Hon. Kenneth A. Gibson, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey where he was responsible for protocol and international relations. Balozi would also share his expertise as an international trade and investment consultant to the New York State Harlem Urban Development Corporation (HUDC). He was assigned as Mayoral Liaison to the United Nations diplomatic community to help expand trading links between Newark companies and developing nations, as well as the Mayoral Representative to the Newark Export Task Force. In 1978-1979, he was a Mayoral Liaison to the Newark-Rutgers University Small Business Development Center; and, in 1978, Balozi served as the President of the Newark United Nations Association. In 1982, Balozi would additionally serve as a consultant to the Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials in 1982.
In 1982, upon the recommendation of U.S. Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-New York), Balozi was appointed as Executive Director of the Harlem Third World Trade Institute (HTWTI), an international trade and investment promotion agency of the Harlem Urban Development Corporation (HUDC) in New York City. During his 13-year directorship (1982-1995), the Institute facilitated international transactions in excess of $50 million. In addition, 47 Heads of State and Government from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and South Pacific Islands, as well as over 400 high-level government and business leaders visited Harlem, USA as guests of the Institute, HUDC and Congressman Rangel. HTWTI facilitated trade and investment relations between American small, minority and women-owned firms and developing countries; and promoted the development of the proposed $150m Harlem international Trade Center.
In 1983, the United Nations African and Caribbean Diplomatic Corps, under the joint chairmanship of Ambassador Oumarou G. Youssoufou, Executive Secretary of the Organization of African Unity to the United Nations and Ambassador Serge Charles of Haiti, honored Balozi at a Testimonial Dinner for his twenty years of distinguished service and commitment to Pan-African solidarity and cooperation. A year later, he spearheaded the formation of the Essex County Pan-African Cultural Society, and became its Chairman.
In 1984, Balozi was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the New York City Partnership, Inc., “a coalition of business and civic leaders dedicated to improving the quality of life in New York City.” The Partnership was headed by David Rockefeller, Chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank.
In 1988, Balozi was “enstolled” as King Nana Kablam I of the Village of Azzuretti in the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. Balozi best described the honor of his installation as King Nana Kablam I, “...as
perhaps the greatest highlight of my life.” Later that year, Cheikh Moutada M’Backe, spiritual leader of the 7-million worldwide Mourid Islamic Community headquartered in Touba, Senegal appointed Balozi as His North American Representative and Spokesman. Since 1988, he continued to serve as the President of the Mourid Islamic Community in America (MICA). Concurrently, he was also chosen by his Muslim brothers and sisters as the President of the Murid Islamic Community in America (MICA). The Murids are a Sufi Muslim sect founded in 1883 by Cheikh Amadou Bamba M’Backe, who helped lead non-violent resistance to French colonial rule in Africa. His followers are mainly in West Africa, but with growing communities in France, Italy and the United States. Balozi inaugurated the Annual Cheikh Amadou Bamba Day Parade in Harlem with the approval of the New York City Government.
In 1995, Balozi established and became Chairman/CEO of His Majesty Traders, a business entity, and later that year founded and became Chairman of Human Bridges, Inc., a nonprofit charity. Two years later, in 1997, Balozi was appointed as Special Presidential Envoy of the Government of Liberia by H.E. Charles G. Taylor, President of the Republic of Liberia. In 1995, Balozi formed and became Chairman of Balozi & Associates (B & A), an international trade and investment consulting firm focused on exploring business opportunities in emerging African and Caribbean market economies. The firm opened offices in New York City, East Orange (New Jersey), London, Paris and Monrovia (Liberia). One of its clients, ACTEL, planned to develop an $800 million satellite project in Africa (provision of mobile and fixed –point telephone services to businesses and individuals) in conjunction with Lockheed Martin and later Lucent Technologies. B & A obtained telecom licenses from Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, and Liberia for the ACTEL Group.
From 2001-2002, Balozi served as Executive Vice President of Egg Solution, Inc., a European optical technology manufacturer with offices in Paris, New York and Los Angeles.
From January 2003-September 2007, Balozi served as Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity and Affirmative Action (OCDAA), which was created by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. to help uphold civil rights, as well as to increase minority participation in employment and contract opportunities. Balozi also served as a member of the Essex County Disparity Study Commission and the Essex County Juvenile Justice Disparities Working Group. In January 2004, Balozi was appointed as Executive Director of the Essex County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) by County Executive DiVincenzo. The County Executive also named him as member of the Essex County Workforce Investment Board (WIB), as well as the County Executive’s Municipal Liaison to the Township of Irvington, New Jersey.
In May 2006, Balozi was honored as the Grand Marshall of the 40th Annual African-American Heritage New Jersey Statewide Parade. Joining the African-American community were delegations from several African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal.
On September 13, 2007, Balozi’s “Legacy & Retirement Dinner” was held at the Sheraton Hotel at Newark Airport, NJ. Hundreds of people from all walks of life (local, national and international), congratulated and showered Balozi with appreciations for his dedication to African-American community development; love for African people, arts and culture; and good international relations. Dr. Maulana Karenga, in the keynote address, called Balozi, “A friend and fellow soldier, a worthy victor and veteran of our struggle, a builder, elder brother, and believer in the Good.”
In 2009, Balozi became a member of the Eminent Committee that hosted the 75th Birthday (October 9, 2009) Celebration for Amiri Baraka, the renowned poet, playwright, author, activist and nationalist. Other notable members included Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Maya Angelou, actor Danny Glover, comedian Dr. Bill Cosby, actress Ruby Dee, ABC-TV Icon Gil Noble, Princeton University Professor Dr. Cornel West, and Congressman Donald M. Payne, Sr., among others.
Balozi was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). On April 26, 2016, the NAACP Chapter of the Oranges and Maplewood awarded Balozi its Presidential Award during the Freedom Fund brunch,”Connecting Our Past to a Brighter Future through Equality, Opportunity, and Community.”
Balozi was also an avid art collector. His private collection was accumulated over the course of more than 200 trips to the African continent, some as gifts from African leaders he met in his travels, others were saved from potential destruction. Over 100 African tribes, histories, and ancestries are represented within the hundreds of pieces in the collection, and his collection is considered to be one of the premier private collections of African art in the United States. Balozi saw his role as a collector as preserving history for future generations, referring to himself as a “custodian of the past.”
Balozi’s activities have been covered in several print and broadcast media outlets at home and abroad, including newspapers such as the New York Times, Newark Star Ledger, New York Daily News, New York Daily Challenge, and Amsterdam News. In addition, coverage was provided by magazines, such as Ebony, Jet, and Black Enterprise, Crisis, Trade Winds, and the Mourid. Television Appearances have included “Like It Is” (ABC) in 1968, “Black Journal” (Fox) in 1977, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BCC) in 2001, and the Senegalese National Television (1987- 2002). He appeared on radio talk shows at WLIB, WBGO, WBAI, 1010 Wins, and BBC Radio.
In the last half-century, Balozi has dedicated his life towards building cultural bridges between and among Africans ( in the Motherland) and peoples of African descent ( in the Diaspora) ; promoting the economic and political development of African-American communities, and African and Caribbean nations; and forging relationships between and among peoples of all races and nationalities at home and abroad. He also contributed generously to numerous local, national and international humanitarian causes. Since 1964, Balozi has traveled to over 100 countries around the world, mostly to the African, Caribbean, South American countries.
Balozi leaves to mourn his loss his wife of 37 years, Judge Karimu F. Hill-Harvey; six children: Angela, Karen, and Nurisha (daughters) and Zayd, Quami, and Mwalimu (sons); six grandchildren: Akili, Anike, Zayd, Quran, Aliciana Karimu, and Amari Balozi; Sister Josephine Harvey Lee; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers and sisters in law; and close family friends.
