Alim Howell has spent the better part of a decade trying to get police officers and neighbors on the same team. Sometimes, that means literally putting them on the same basketball court.
Howell, who grew up in Ardmore and attended Penn Wynne Elementary, Welsh Valley Middle School and Harriton High School, is an activist and organizer for Race for Peace. His father, Andrew Howell, founded the nonprofit in 2016 to improve relations between law enforcement and community members across the Philadelphia region.
"We were in his truck in the summertime of July, and [Andrew] said, 'I want to start a nonprofit organization.' At first I wasn't even educated on nonprofit organizations," Howell said in an interview with Lower Merion Times.
He continued to describe how his father outlined his goals of amending the relationship between law enforcement and youth in black and brown communities.
" I told him that it seemed interesting, and he said, 'It should be all right. It's going to be like a positive thing for the youth.' And it turned out to be big," Howell continued.
Despite the name, the group's signature event is a basketball game instead of an actual race.
The annual Community & Police Basketball Classic, a free event now in its 10th year, draws officers and residents to the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School, 315 E. Montgomery Ave. in Ardmore. The most recent game took place April 10, featuring 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 matchups, a dunk contest, a 3-point contest, halftime entertainment and light snacks, according to a Lower Merion Police Department Facebook post.
Howell said his father asked him to join Race for Peace early on, assigning him to meet with politicians across Pennsylvania's counties to promote the organization and secure media coverage. Over the past decade, that role has shifted. Howell now works behind the scenes, coordinating events and managing public relations.
"It's always good to be involved with activism somehow. If you believe in something politically then you have you have to have some type of a voice," Howell said.
"And that's basically what I've tried to do. I've held meetings with politicians, law enforcement officers, did interviews and I've spoken to them about Race for Peace. I've also spoken to them about negativity with police interactions, especially with black and brown communities," he added.
His primary goal, he told Lower Merion Times, is to increase the organization's visibility and ensure minority youth are acknowledged for positive contributions to their communities. He pointed to the period after George Floyd's death as a turning point that deepened his commitment to proactive advocacy.
"It's a little less controversial than other topics, such as a forum, a debate or a town hall meeting. So, we try to do our Race for Peace events through sports because it's less controversial, and everyone is having fun and it's not so serious," Howell told CBS News Philadelphia in April 2023.
A decade of event planning has taught the organization practical lessons. Howell said hosting talent shows at public recreation centers drew fewer participants than partnering directly with school administrations. School-based events, he said, are more organized and produce higher student turnout.
Beyond basketball, Race for Peace lists goals that include mentoring youth, quarterly community meetings, an annual bike tour, a summit and prison visits, according to the organization's website. The group also promotes ongoing dialogue between residents and officers.
Howell's advocacy has reached state lawmakers. In January 2025, he met virtually with State Rep. Anthony Bellmon (D-203rd) to discuss gun violence and crime, PA Times reported. In June 2025, State Sen. Tim Kearney (D-26) and chief of staff Sara McCullough held a similar online meeting with Howell to discuss gun violence solutions, according to the Delaware County Daily Times. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also participated in an event for the organization, in which he discussed activism and community with a young audience over zoom.
However, what Howell finds to be the most fulfilling aspect of his work is how it allows him to work with and support his dad in their shared goals.
"I just basically decided I'm going to partner with my dad. I'm going to help him out and try to do the best I can to make the organization more well known. That was my goal," Howell said.
Howell has been invited to speak at the Student Activism for Greater Equality (SAGE) conference in 2027, a student-led social action program in the Lower Merion School District. One of his own former teachers, Andrea Wilson-Harvey, encouraged him to speak at the event, stating that the conference's youthful audience could learn a lot from Howell's experiences. Howell is now working with the conference's current sponsors to work out the logistics of his appearance at the event.
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