Abdul A. Brimah was born and raised in the Gold Coast before Ghana’s independence. He is a descendant of his great; great grandfather Chief Alhaji Brimah I, a well-known Cattle Rancher in the Gold Coast, in the area of Accra known as Cow Lane/Mlitsa gonno, now called Opera Square. He has one adult son Farouk B. Brimah, in England from a previous relationship, and two children, Wasila K. Brimah, and Ahmed T. Brimah, with his wife Alimatu Sadia Brimah.
Mr. Brimah attended High Street Primary School, and Rowe Road/King Bu Elementary school in Accra. He did his O levels at Odorgonno Secondary School in Accra. As a youth in Ghana, he was one of the first 100 children selected from various youth organizations to form the Young Pioneers. As such he was one of the many Ghanaian children selected to represent Ghana at world youth conferences in Europe. After a short stay in England, Mr. Brimah migrated to Chicago, Illinois in 1971. He got his Associate Degree in Data Processing from Central YMCA College and Bachelors in Computer Science from Roosevelt University Chicago in 1976.
In the Chicago community, Mr. Brimah has always participated in the formation of social networks in the African-American, and the African Diaspora communities. Social networks like PENTAD and XYZ comes to mind. In the African Diaspora community, he is a board member of the African International House (AIH), the producer of the annual African Festival of the Arts, the largest neighborhood festival in the city of Chicago, which takes place Labor Day weekends. He was the Radio Host of Window to Africa Radio on WVON 1390am and 1690am from year 2000-2008 this was an outreach program of AIH. Also, serve as guest speaker at Chicago Public Schools during Black History Month. He was a member of the African Dance Company lead by Victor Clottey from Ghana in the 70s. In the Nigerian Community, he was an honoree member of the Nigerian-American Forum, and served as assistant to the Social secretary.
In the Ghanain Community, he is the chairperson of the Ga-Adangbe community organization, and a representative of this organization at the Ghana National Council. He is also a member of the Haske Society that represents Ghanain Muslims in Chicago. Occasionally, he is appointed as master of ceremonies at various functions in the community. Mr. Brimah speaks six languages, English, French, Ga, Twi, Hausa, and Yoruba.
One of Dr. Kwame Nrumah’s guiding principles is what keeps him going, and that is:
Go to the People, Live among them, Love them, Serve them, Learn from them, Start with what they know, and Build on what they have.