Meet the St. Paul mental health practitioner hoping to inspire other Black professionals to join the field

A former star high school and college basketball player with Rondo roots, St. Paul native Kasim Abdur Razzaq wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after he stopped making buckets. The St. Paul Central graduate, now 44, put his undergraduate degree in psychology to work with young people dealing with behavioral and mental health issues and discovered a calling. Master’s degrees in clinical social work and education and a doctorate in clinical and counseling psychology followed. Then private practice, working with Black and Muslim communities, people he said have been traditionally marginalized. He plans to use a grant from the Bush Foundation to create a pipeline of Black mental health professionals. Eye On St. Paul recently talked with Razzaq about his plans for the next two years. This interview was edited for length and clarity. Q: How did you go from playing college basketball to mental health? A: I had got invited to do some [basketball] camps and play overseas. But honestly, when I came back home, I didn’t really know what I was. Basketball was my thing. My brother said, “You got to get a job.” And I was like, I definitely do. He said he worked at this...