Ra Amin is a homeowner, urban farmer, and community leader who has lived in his Brookland home for over 20 years. A native of Northwest DC, Ra graduated from the University of Maryland and lived in Wards 1, 2, and 7 before buying a home in Brookland in 1997.
After a career in DC Government, Ra became a massage therapist and an instructor of yoga and Pilates. He has also worked as a bike ambassador, lead instructor (LCI), and a trail ranger for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. Service to others has always been part of Ra’s life, whether as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, organizing a massage therapy program for people living with HIV or AIDS, or volunteering at the FRESHFARM Monroe Street Market Farmers’ Market.
Following a serious bike accident in 2015, Ra decided he wanted to give back to neighbors, friends, and family members who had rallied around him during his recovery. He broadened and deepened his service to his neighborhood and his city. In addition to volunteering at the Monroe Street Market Farmers’ Market, Ra attended the UDC Urban Agriculture Program to learn how to spread the joy of urban gardening across DC. He is part of the trauma patient advocate community at George Washington University Hospital and is a 2017 graduate of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Community Engagement Academy. Ra also completed the 2019 Transportation Planning Board (TPB) Community Leadership Institute (CLI) program and DPR's Urban Naturalist program. He also provides his expertise in compost waste management to the Bertie Backus Urban Farm.
Ra lives with his three dogs, Cesar, Prince, and Louie, on Hamlin Street in Brookland. Learn more about the issues he's focusing on.