Father surprises son with 40 acres for his 13th birthday

It might seem a bit extravagant, but this father aimed to give his son a valuable life lesson.

When his son turned 13, Faheem gave him the ultimate birthday surprise – 40 acres of land in Boulevard, California, on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Muhammad said that the birthday surprise was actually a rite of passage and with historical importance. He shared, “After slavery, of course, we were supposed to get 40 acres and a mule.”

This referred to Special Field Order No. 15 issued by Union General William T. Sherman, which was released in January 1865 near the end of the Civil War. Intended for newly freed slaves, the Special Field Order was never implemented.

The father added, “We’re not crying about the fact that somebody didn’t give us what they promised. If this is something that we desire to have, we go and make it happen.”

Muhammad said that the birthday surprise was meant to instill the principles of self-sustainability and the importance of land ownership into his son.

It may be an extravagant gift for a teen, but real estate investment is certainly one way to secure and maintain generational wealth.

Faheem Ra’id, also affectionately known as Little Faheem, reflected on the issue of African Americans and real estate, “We don’t really have that much. Like in certain neighborhoods, we have no ownership of our homes. It would just be better to learn how to deal with that kind of stuff over real estate, land ownership and home ownership.”

The elder Muhammad is the former head of security for music icon Michael Jackson.  He lives in San Diego and is the co-founder and chief information officer of the OASIS investment group, a real estate business that buys and rebuilds properties in the South Side of Chicago.

The real estate development company focuses on transforming and uplifting low-income and underserved communities. In 2021, Muhammad bought 198 acres of land to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

“We see clear space, where we can uninterruptedly enjoy nature, especially growing up in a congested city like L.A. when we are out here it’s totally different,” Muhammad said. When his son’s birthday came up, 40 acres of that land became his son’s birthday surprise.

On OASIS’ investments, Muhammad shared, “A lot of times you hear about gentrification where they come in and they make these places nice to live in.”

He explained that African Americans are often pushed out of their own neighborhoods due to rising prices. “Our concept was to come in and make them nice places to live but make them nice places to live for the people that already lived there,” Muhammad added.

OASIS can help African America communities and stay profitable by working with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to acquire a Regulation A, Tier 2 real estate fund.

This allows them to raise capital to buy land and renovate homes while making it a priority to keep African Americans in their neighborhoods.

To create a better living situation for the African American community in Chicago, OASIS also helps raise awareness on the values of real estate and discusses these issues widely on Instagram and YouTube.

The company partnered with Neighborhood Housing Services Chicago to offer classes to educate tenants on homeownership.

“These are people who’ve had families on government assistance for years. And now they’re actually enrolled into courses about how to own their own homes,” Muhammad said.

OASIS also created the Build Program, which teaches young people with no experience how to renovate properties and gives them a path to become homeowners themselves.

Muhammad’s own birthday surprise has jumpstarted Little Faheem’s journey to home ownership. This early, he is already making plans on what to do with his newly acquired land.

He said, “ATV camps, camps … resorts, family homes. Stuff like that – Airbnbs. You could put a windmill there if you want to.”

The birthday surprise may be a valuable life lesson for Little Faheem, but it also stems from the family’s principle of helping communities in need.

Mom Aminah Muhammad also taught her children the importance of owning property and helping the community. She has organized Rites of Passage camps for inner city kids for years.

Faheem’s brother and sister have been bringing kids to San Diego County from their community in LA and renting camp space to take them on hikes, ride ATVs, and build campfires. Now they can bring more kids to their own property.

Little Faheem’s birthday surprise is also a gift to others, and a wonderful piece of nature for the family and community to enjoy.

“We just see an opportunity to enjoy nature in its finest sense. You got fresh water, clear skies at night. You can see all the stars, the moon. The sunrises are beautiful,” Muhammad said.

The wonderful examples set by members of the family will certainly help Little Faheem realize whatever dream he may have for his future.

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