Feb. 25, 2025

Ferris State alum Khalid el-Hakim’s life works featured in Fox Soul Black History Month documentary

The remarkable life and works of Khalid el-Hakim are the subject of a Fox Soul 2025 Black History Month documentary, Living Proof: Dr. Khalid el-Hakim’s Black History 101 Mobile Museum, chronicling the extraordinary journey of this Ferris State University alum.

Today, el-Hakim is the founder and curator of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, celebrating 30 years of preserving Black history and educating the public about noteworthy Black achievements. 
  
His Black History 101 Mobile Museum, comprised of more than 15,000 original artifacts ranging from the trans-Atlantic slave trade to items highlighting hip hop culture, has traveled across 43 states sharing its stories with over 1,000 institutions – including K-12 schools, colleges, corporations, festivals, libraries, museums, and more. 
  
To think, el-Hakim’s dream-turned-reality started in a Ferris State classroom where he drew inspiration from David Pilgrim, then a Sociology professor, now the university’s vice president for Diversity, Inclusion and Strategic Initiatives as well as founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum on campus. 
 
The inspiration continued finding and gaining his first collection item, a figurine of a Black boy sitting on a pot eating watermelon, during a stop in Tennessee on a spring break trip to Florida, he once told The Detroit News. 
  
“Living Proof is deeply personal because my journey began at Ferris State, and this documentary is a full-circle moment for me,” el-Hakim said. “As a Sociology student, I was inspired by Dr. David Pilgrim, who used artifacts to bring history to life in a way that textbooks couldn’t. That experience shaped my approach to education and undoubtedly had an influence on the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. I’ll forever be grateful for my experience at Ferris.”

Living Proof: Dr. Khalid el-Hakim’s Black History 101 Mobile Museum, is available via the Fox Soul YouTube channel, which was released on Feb. 12. 
  
Fox Soul is a live streaming channel focusing on Black culture, “but consumable by all.” The programs educate and entertain while sharing the diverse stories of the Black community. 
  
Graduating from Ferris State in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Education, el-Hakim reflects fondly on a well-rounded undergraduate experience that prepared him for what was ahead in his life. 
  
“Additionally, being a member of the student programming board, Entertainment Unlimited, was instrumental in developing my business acumen. Being involved in EU, I learned how to negotiate business contracts and understand the type of programming colleges and universities were looking for,” he said. “Going to conferences like NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) with Entertainment Unlimited, I learned how to network and build relationships with agents, colleges and talent.” 
  
His Ferris State time helped established part of the foundation he stands on today. 
  
“Those experiences gave me the foundation to build the Black History 101 Mobile Museum into a nationally recognized educational institution,” said el-Hakim, who in January 2025 released his latest book, the independently published A Legacy in Motion: Celebrating 30 Years of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, available on Amazon.com. 
  
Among the thousands of items in the Black History 101 Mobile Museum’s diverse collection are authentic documents bearing the signatures of historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Lena Horne, Angela Davis and more. 
  
Besides his Ferris State degree, el-Hakim earned a Master of Arts in Sociocultural Studies in Education from Western Michigan University and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 
  
Visit the Black History 101 Mobile Museum website for more information.