Jabari N KhalfaniJabari Khalfani has been writing as a lyricist, poet and now author for well over thirty years. A transplant from North Chicago, now residing in Maryland, influenced by the then emerging hip- hop culture, Jabari started writing rhymes in the first grde. As he grew older he began writing and performing open mic poetry. His love for rap music eventually led him to combine both styles and take on the stage name TheWord. Jabari can be described as a poetic, conscientious, deep thinker whose writing is both provocative and relevant. As a natural transition Jabari has evolved from spoken word to the expanded craft of authorship. This new occupation of writing was birthed by his joint venture with Natasha Khalfani, in Selah's Prayer but includes forthcoming novels, academic writing and more children's stories. Jabari currently serves as a middle school teacher in Prince George's County Maryland. Jabari began his career as a teaching assistant at the age of19. This instilled a genuine passion for teaching and impacting disadvantaged youths. This passion would evolve into an illustrious teaching career that has spanned over a decade, in some of the most challenging schools within the surrounding Washington DC. Metro area. Jabari has sought to continuously groom him self professionally by acquiring his Masters degree in Education Administration. He also strives to give back to the community through his Educational Non-profit (The Write House) that deals with developing students as critical thinkers and writers. Read More Read Less