Ali Abdur-Rahman
Bio of Ali Abdur Rahman aka Alan Edward Sills
Alan Edward Sills the forth of five children, and second son of three of LeRoy Sills of Waynesboro, Ga. and Eddie Lou Carter of Gough, Ga., was born in Waynesboro, Ga., February 4, 1955.
Migrating to Syracuse, NY at the age of two years, he attended public school until the 8th grade in which he attended Our Lady of Lourdes and Cathedral Academy in the 9th grade. When his younger brother Carlis Sills, now Caliph Abdur-Rahman, was of age, they both started at Boggs Academy with Alan being in the 10th grade and Carlis being in the 8th. They were roommates for the first year in Harbison Hall and received best-kept room awards for their first year.
Alan was active throughout his years at Boggs, in basketball, football, track, Acapella Chorus, Drama Club and newspaper. As an honor student he was inducted in the Outstanding Society of High School Students, finalist in the O.M. Blount Oratorical Contest, Most Improved Player in Basketball, and Best Actor and Best One Act Play in the State of Georgia in 1973.
After receiving encouragement from Charlie Morgan who was responsible for selling him his class ring, he applied and was accepted to Morehouse College, where he continued to sing in the Morehouse College Glee Club. As a freshman, Psychology major, he was co-founder of the Morehouse College Chess Club and was selected to go on a three-week tour with the Glee Club as first tenor his first year. He later would tour for his following three years and become Secretary and Public Relations Manager his senior year. The Glee Club made performances at many city events, Ecumenical Choir participation, performances at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Sr and Jr., and perform with Spelman College.
In 1979 Alan became employed with Allegheny Airlines as a flight attendant. During 1980 he started a mobile video production business with his college roommate Horace Moore. The company, Dome City Productions, was located 131 North Avenue, downtown Atlanta. Working with many local entertainers, bands and live events, the company made a mark by bringing live screen projection and video simulcasting to the social scene in Atlanta. In 1981 he changed his name to Ali Abdur Rahman, patterned after his cousin Abdul Rahman Muhammad (Samuel Saxon), the minister of the Atlanta Temple of the Nation of Islam, sparring partner for Muhammad Ali and ring manager and longtime companion and friend of the champ.
Being the descendants of slaves, Ali realized that Islam was notably the religion that his ancestors came to the U.S. with and became a student of Sunni Islam and joined the over 1 billion Muslims worldwide in the practice of Islam. He prefers to find the common aspects of religion than emphasize the differences.
A graduate of Morehouse College in Psychology, Ali has done graduate work in Information Management , and is a Fiber Optics installation Technician and holds certificates in Computer Networking.
He has a lovely wife of 30 years (Marlena) and three beautiful children, Ilyana (Ph.d Nurse Practioner), Celine (Actress, film producion staff, Cup of Rahman, Inc.) and Najee (Digital Marketing Director).
Ali currently works as an Office Technician for National Grid, serves on the Board of Directors of BANAA, Chair of IT Committee, Vice President of 100 Black Men of Syracuse, President of Sills Foundation, Owner and Executive Producer of Excel Media and Solutions.
