A Healing Heart

There’s no mistaking Malik Stubbs’ purpose in life. His LinkedIn profile says it all. The class of 2018 alumnus describes himself as “a leader who wants to change the world.” He’s beginning in his own backyard of East Buffalo. Stubbs is a member and advocate for Breaking Barriers Buffalo, an initiative of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable aimed at accelerating positive outcomes for boys and young men of color across the cradle-to-career continuum. He currently serves as a racial healing facilitator for the organization, a role that originated in the aftermath of the racist mass shooting at the Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo. Stubbs helps young men of color, between the ages of 12 and 24, overcome trauma, find resilience and build leadership skills through healing circles. “The Healing Circle gives our young men a chance to talk about all they are going through – to have a real conversation about thoughts and feelings they likely learned to keep inside,” explains Stubbs, whose racial healing efforts were recently featured on NBC News. “The shootings affected everyone and our youth do not have the skills to cope. The Healing Circle is a safe place to start.”

Buffalo's mass shooting

To connect with the young men in the program, Stubbs taps into his own experience growing up with a single mom in the city’s Central Park District. With six siblings, he was the first in his family to attend college, made possible by a Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) scholarship sponsored by the New York State Education Department and Canisius College.

“The program at Canisius was the first time I really interacted with people of color in leadership positions who were willing to help me in any way possible. It was a tremendous influence,” Stubbs recalls. “I knew then that I wanted to build a career in which I could have a positive impact on others.”

Stubbs laughs as he remembers being nicknamed “Mayor Malik” on campus, where he studied political science and urban studies. As part of his studies, he interned in Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown’s Office of Division Services and was an AmeriCorp Vista volunteer. He also became involved with Breaking Barriers. Those experiences fueled his passion for public service.

Shortly after graduation, Stubbs was elected as an Erie County Democratic Committee member in the city’s Masten Four District, the youngest person on the ballot. Around that time, he started his own business teaching and tutoring disadvantaged students in science and math. In the aftermath of the Tops tragedy, he saw an opportunity to help by taking the position as a Healing Circle facilitator.

Stubbs has taken online courses through Harvard University where he met NFL Quarterback Russel Wilson and R & B Artist Ciara on a zoom meeting. He is also an instructor for a program called TrioUpward Bound at D’Youville University where he teaches STEM courses to high school students. He says he wants to continue building on the skills necessary for a career in public service.

“My ultimate goal is to be mayor of Buffalo someday,” Stubbs concludes. “However, right now, I want to demonstrate that a young person can make a difference in his or her community – you don’t need to be an elected official.”