'Kwanzaa Man,' Yahya Abdul Karim
They called him the "Kwanzaa Man." Yahya Abdul Karim earned the title by officiating at dozens of Kwanzaa ceremonies in the city over the last 20 years. A busy entrepreneur who operated a number of bookstores and who was a teacher and role model, died Dec. 18 at age 65.
They called him the "Kwanzaa Man."
Yahya Abdul Karim earned the title by officiating at dozens of Kwanzaa ceremonies in the city over the last 20 years. A busy entrepreneur who operated a number of bookstores and who was a teacher and role model, died Dec. 18 at age 65.
He died just prior to conducting the annual Kwanzaa program for the African American United Fund, which he had performed for more than two decades.
He also was looking forward to the African Marketplace Saturday at the African American United Fund Conference Center, 2231 N. Broad St. It will go on and be dedicated to his memory.
Yahya wore many hats in his life. He was a postal worker, a businessman, teacher of Spanish and self-defense, a tax and real-estate and bankruptcy consultant, and loving husband and father.
He was born Albert James Pitts to Juanita Pitts and Clayton Robinson. From age 8 to 13, he was educated at Holy Providence Boarding School, operated by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, in Bensalem.
He graduated from the former St. Thomas More High School and went on to take up African studies as a major and Spanish as a minor at Howard University from 1963 to 1966. He then transferred to Temple University for his senior year.
He began working for the Postal Service in Washington, D.C., then transferred to the main post office in Philadelphia.
He later served as a Spanish translator for the Philadelphia County Board of Assistance.
Retiring from the government in 1978, Yahya embarked on a business career that included ownership of various bookstores, the last being the Marcus Garvey Bookstore on North Broad Street, where he offered tax, real- estate and bankruptcy consultation.
For the past two decades, Yahya taught conversational Spanish and boxing and self-defense at Temple University's Pan African Studies Community Education Program.
He married Linda Richardson-Pitts, president and chief executive of the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corp., in 1984.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Tarik; four daughters, Aissia, Kiesha, Monifa and Mariama, and nine grandchildren.
Services: Memorial service was held Saturday at Temple University's Kiva Auditorium.
Contributions may be made to Murid Brotherhood c/o Touba Dar-ul-Ihsaan, Abdullah Salihu, president, 5020 Old York Road, Philadelphia 19141. *