A.J. Ali
L.O.V.E. Is The Answer Founder & CEO
Henderson
Aloha everyone! I was born in Washington D.C., but Hawaii has been my spiritual home since my first visit at the age of 9 in 1971, strengthened during the time my mother worked at NSA on Oahu in the 1980's, and further solidified for life during my 2014 life-changing visit that put me on the path that I'm now -- teaching people all over the world what I call the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer principles. I am an ally and respecter of Hawaiian culture, I'm open to learning more each day, and I'm planning on opening a leadership retreat center in Hawaii in the next few years where the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer principles can be used to help heal trauma and bring more love into communities around the world.
My bio:
A.J. Ali is the Director & Producer of “WALKING WHILE BLACK: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer,” an award- winning feature-length documentary film improving relations between police and the community. He coined the acronym “L.O.V.E.,” which stands for Learn about your community, Open your heart to the people in it, Volunteer yourself to be part of the solution in their lives, and Empower others to do the same. The film won Best Documentary and Audience Favorite at the Garifuna International Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA. For work with the film, A.J. has received the Platinum Award by the NAACP in Howard County, MD for Contributions to the Community Through the Arts & Entertainment, the William H. Eastburn III Award by the Bucks County Bar Association, and other recognition.
His L.O.V.E. Is The Answer book is a powerful companion to the film. In 2020, he made history by being the focus of a 7-page spread in the “Black History 365” textbook, for his L.O.V.E. Is The Answer work. The textbooks are being used by schools nationwide. A.J. is the Creator, Producer and Host of Wellness 101, a TV game show. His first film, “Positive Choice,” is credited with saving the national youth soccer program “Soccer in the Streets” from extinction. He was the Creator, Producer and Star of “Good Fellas of Baltimore,” which aired on Fox 45 TV in the Baltimore market. He has produced, written and/or appeared in numerous TV shows, films, commercials and PSA’s. His popular, faith-based inspirational book ”The True Champion’s 30-Day Challenge,” was published in 2009. He wrote and produced the cancer survivor anthem "Through the Darkness, Into the Light" and produced the Hollywood FAME Award-winning compilation music CD "Survivor Celebration" to benefit breast cancer survivors. He's a 2019 BMe Vanguard Social Determinants Of Health Fellow, a member of the Santa Monica College General Advisory Board, the West Coast Care Advisory Board, the NAACP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police Crime Prevention Committee, the California Crime Prevention Officers Association, and ACTS Church in Santa Monica.
He is a service-disabled military veteran who served honorably in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 1987 as a Journalist and Media Relations Specialist. He was based at Vandenberg AFB in CA, Comiso Air Station nuclear missile base in Sicily, and McClellan AFB in CA. He was a member of the USAF Soccer Team. A.J. and his wife Jane have been happily married for 27 years, with 3 children and 5 grandchildren.