Jibreel Khazan (Ezell Blair Jr.)

Jibreel Khazan is a Greensboro native. His father, Ezell Alexander Blair Sr., was a Greensboro educator. He graduated from Dudley High School in 1959 and received a bachelor of science degree in sociology from N.C. A&T in 1963.

While a student at A&T, Khazan was president of the junior class, the student government association, the campus NAACP and the Greensboro Congress of Racial Equality. He attended law school at Howard University for almost a year.

In 1965, Khazan moved to New Bedford, Mass. He worked as a teacher and counselor for the developmentally disabled. He became a member of the New England Islamic Center in 1968 and took his present name.

He married the former Lorraine France George of New Bedford. They have three children, one of whom graduated from N.C. A&T.

In 1994, Khazan received an honorary doctorate from A&T for his role in the civil rights movement.

Discussing the Greensboro sit-ins in 2007 at Mount Wachusett Community College in Massachusetts, Khazan said, “I didn’t do this for profit. I did it for love of God and country and for those who weren’t yet born.”

Audio (MP3)

Something must be done (1:03)
Blair voted against going (1:07)
Ralph Johns role in the sit-ins (1:17)
Couldn't sleep the night before the sit-ins (:36)
What happened that day (2:12)
Curly Harris refuses the four service (:50)
We got confidence (:38)
The four were threatened nightly (:34)

back to top