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Atlantic City teen was unstoppable on the field and the trail
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ATLANTIC CITY - His high school friends called him Flip Flop, but don't let Dafiq Rasheed's nickname fool you. He was no ordinary politician. He meant what he said and was determined to live up to it.
Consider, for example, how he earned his nickname.
Before a football practice with the Atlantic City Dolphins years ago, Rasheed found himself locked out of his house without his cleats. That didn't stop him from going to practice and participating. Instead, he performed all of the drills on the only soles he had handy - his flip flops.
It was that determination that led to his legitimate run for an at-large City Council seat earlier this month. Many thought he was too young and inexperienced to run, but that didn't stop him from becoming a candidate, the start of a bright political future cut short by what seems like a tragic accident.
Rasheed, 19, died Saturday at a pool party in Mullica Township. Police are tentatively ruling it an "accidental drowning," but are awaiting the results of an autopsy before making an official determination. John Thompson, a detective sergeant with the Mullica Township Police Department, expected the autopsy to be completed Monday, but police offered no further information before press time.
Thompson said witnesses remember Rasheed jumping into the pool Saturday and starting to flail his arms and call for help shortly after.
"He realized he was in trouble," Thompson said.
Others at the home tried to rescue Rasheed but were not good swimmers, Thompson said.
Rasheed's father, Dennis White, said Monday that Rasheed "wasn't a swimmer" and likely struggled to stay afloat.
His death came just 24 days after Rasheed lost his first Atlantic City primary election. Rasheed, who ran on Councilman Marty Small's mayoral ticket, would have been the youngest-ever councilman had he won June 2 and again in November. In the end, he garnered more than 400 votes at the polls and left a lasting impression on resort voters.
Rasheed outshined all 12 of his opponents during candidate debates and forums. Articulate and enthusiastic, he promoted his youth as a positive addition to what he considered to be a council "mostly full of senior citizens."
Although he juggled his sophomore classes at Rutgers University's Camden campus and part-time work as a computer instructor at Atlantic City's Boys and Girls Club, Rasheed pledged to be "the most accessible councilman ever."
"These guys get paid part time, so they work part time for you," he said of current council members during a live-televised debate in April. "I will turn this into my full-time job."
He told The Press after the race that he would wait until after college to continue pursuing his political career, but planned to immediately join Gov. Jon S. Corzine's re-election campaign.
Rasheed's father said the family had concerns about the amount of time a council candidacy would require, potentially leaving less time for school work.
But his grades were not dropping, White said. "And he was under Marty Small's wing, so we were confident he wouldn't let anything bad happen to him."
Small called a reporter on his way to the hospital Saturday night, but could barely speak he was so distraught. Amid his sobbing, he said, "This is why I stayed in the election - for him."
On Monday, Small said he worried bowing out of the race would damage Rasheed's ambitions, which he believes could have taken him anywhere.
Ultimately, family members said, Rasheed's goal was to become mayor, but he started his political path years before his bid for City Council.
"He was always running for something," his father said.
He served as president of Atlantic City High School's student council and sat as a student representative on the Atlantic City Board of Education. School board meetings were a common place for Rasheed to showcase his political passion, arguing often and without hesitation about bathroom conditions and school security checks.
The Atlantic City Board of Education honored Rasheed with a moment of silence at its meeting Monday night.
Along Albany Avenue, a large red campaign sign is still strapped to a fence from this month's primary election. It advertises Rasheed as a choice for City Council. Before this weekend, it represented the start of a political career. Now, it is a glimpse of what could have been.
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Posted in Breaking, Atlantic_city, Atlantic on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 4:00 am Updated: 9:43 am. | Tags: Atlantic City
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