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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The 2024 election season is quickly approaching and several seats are open for newcomers. Nikki Nice, the current representative for OKC’s City Council Ward 7, has filed to run for state senate district 48. In early 2025, the city will host municipal elections for several city council wards. One name to watch in the Ward 7 race is Masood Abdul-Haqq.
Establishing OKC Roots
Haqq spent most of his adolescence and early adulthood in Atlanta. That’s where he met his wife, Dr. Jihan Abdul-Haqq. The couple married in 2009 and welcomed their twins shortly after. With their family quickly expanding, Haqq and his wife moved their children to Oklahoma City to be closer to her family. “When we came to visit here, I fell in love with the community and her family,” Haqq said. “In 2012 we made the move and have been trying to give back to the community that made her, so to speak.”
Once settled in the heart of Oklahoma, Haqq began to build his expertise in business. After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Business Law, he has worked with many small businesses to help them grow their companies. “I came up managing hotels, so I always have an eye toward service,” he said.
In 2015, Haqq and his wife combined forces to create Peace of Mind Pediatrics, a healthcare clinic for families with children. While his wife focuses on providing care, Haqq handles the behind-the-scenes work. “[I’m] hands-on with the day-to-day operations of the business,” he stated.
Growing Advocacy Work
In addition to helping businesses thrive, Masood A. Haqq is an advocate in the local non-profit scene. He is currently the Board Chairman for CAIR Oklahoma. “That advocacy is important to me because I like to consider myself a bridge-builder,” Haqq said. “I don’t think that there’s a bigger or more noble bridge that needs to be built in America than the bridge between America and Islam.”
His intersectional identity as a Black Muslim man is a driving force behind his current efforts. “It gives me a unique perspective and ability to speak on certain issues without fear of deportation,” Haqq stated. “And walk in the footsteps of people I admire like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, James Baldwin, people who are intellectuals and can articulate an idea while representing an entire body of people.” He felt drawn to work with CAIR because it was an opportunity to impact a greater number of people. “During my tenure, we’ve tried to go from being reactionary to proactive.”
Haqq also is the acting secretary for the OKC Black Chamber of Commerce. “The ability to help raise the level of visibility for Black-owned businesses is important to me,” he stated.
Managing the Complexity of Life
With plenty on his plate, The Black Wall Street Times asked Haqq how he juggles multiple responsibilities. “I think that it started with who I married,” Haqq said with a smile. “The reason we work well together is that we both have that eye toward community, selflessness and sacrifice… Sometimes there’s not always a big check on the other side and having a wife who understands that definitely helps.” Even during their downtime, the couple is often strategizing for their next big adventure. “We get satisfaction out of helping the community, so our downtime might look crazy to other people.”
Road to Run
It’s no simple decision to run for office, and for Haqq, that seed was first planted when he was a teenager. “I was a victim of a crime,” he shared. “I was the star witness in the trial and I went head-to-head with a ruthless defense attorney… The way that I handled myself made everyone involved say, ‘Young man, I don’t know what your plans are, but you should certainly consider becoming an attorney or public officer.’”
Those words stuck with him as he navigated the corporate world. Ideas that Haqq brainstormed were utilized by upper management of Fortune 500 companies and helped solidify his self-confidence. “They would encourage me to run for something,” he said. “People in that sphere telling me I should do it kept the idea fresh in my head.”
Recently, Haqq found himself in shared spaces with Senator George Young, current seat holder for state Senate District 48. “I’ve had the unfortunate position of speaking after him several times,” Haqq said with a laugh. “It’s not a position that most public speakers want to be in.” However, the feedback that Haqq received from Young and other elected officials led him to heavily consider running for office. “If there wasn’t a calling consistently by other people, then I probably would have never done it.”
Campaign Focused
For everyone who pledges to run for office, creating a well-rounded list of campaign efforts is early on the list. Since the city council election is nearly a year away, Masood Abdul-Haqq has plenty of time to further establish himself in the community.
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“At this stage, my primary focus is listening, meeting as many people who have invested blood sweat, time, tears into Ward 7 and understanding what they want,” he said. As a business owner aspiring to office, Haqq wants to continue promoting economic development in the community.
“We always think about gentrification; a lot of people are afraid of that word, and for good reason,” he stated. “But we can’t only look to the future when we’re thinking about gentrification.” Haqq then brings up locations along NE 23rd Street that have acted as blight to the community. His economic development work would center around rehabilitating harmful businesses and supporting new ones that better the area.
The second aspect of Haqq’s platform is focused on healthcare. Alongside his wife, he’s been working to expand healthcare options for families and youth that call the East Side home. “We want to make sure that there’s somebody sitting on that horseshoe who has those people in mind.”
Education is also heavy on Haqq’s mind. “Anybody seeking leadership in Oklahoma, where we consistently finish between 45 and 50th no matter what metric for education we’re looking at, has got to have an eye towards what we could be doing differently.”
Building a Legacy
Haqq elaborates on the meaning of his name. “Haqq” is an attribute of god, meaning “the truth.” Abdul-Haqq means to serve truth. “We were encouraged to be studious, to teach what we learn,” he said. “I want my legacy to be somebody who understood the assignment, somebody who’s served the truth.” Haqq says that running for office isn’t about seeking power but instead serving people. “Once you’ve achieved a certain thing, you still have breath, you still have blood pumping through your veins, and it’s incumbent on you to take on the next challenge.”
“My entrance into this race is a sign of faith of the people,” he said as we concluded our talk.
Visit his campaign website to learn more about Masood A. Haqq.
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