At the age of 52, Akil has spent over half his life in prison. In 1998, two years into his last sentence, he underwent a profound transformation in which, through his connection to a higher power, he began to see himself as more than a “convict." As a result of the healing and insight this made possible, he began working to share his vision with fellow inmates as well as those who are in their own kind of prison on the "outside." He has become a powerful teacher and role model to countless men who respect how he's "doin' time". He feels blessed to be acutely sensitive to the needs of the incarcerated and passionate about teaching. Now, with less than a year to complete his last sentence, he looks forward to sharing his gifts with a larger population.

While utilizing his acquired Ph.D (Prison house Degree) in criminality, drug abuse, and prison behavior, along with an accumulated "Master’s" degree in bullshit detection, Akil created and currently leads a weekly, 12 week course called “Keepin’ It Real. The course is the only one of its kind to be led by an inmate. The class addresses issues that deeply concern the lives of prisoners, creating an appreciation for what it takes to unburden the imprisoned soul.

Akil’s motivation for teaching stems from his awareness of the lack of options and positive role models he had earlier in his own life, and how this deprivation led to choices that hurled him down a path of destruction. He is aware that today, misguided youth are acting out and following the same destructive path for the same reasons. Akil has vowed to use his life to empower young men and women to change destructive patterns and make better choices.

He has been honored with three certificates of acknowledgment from both the Warden of San Quentin State Prison and IPP and was featured in a video that documented those recipients that were awarded the 2005 San Francisco Foundation Awards.