Murder victim's brother turns family darkness into light

The Lighthouse is occupies an old house that Deah Barakat owned at the time of his murder. He had been renting out the property to help with dental school costs.

For the past two years, Farris has been working to renovate the home, turning it into an incubator space for faith-based nonprofits serving youth in the community. The idea came from a vision his brother once shared via Tweet before he died.

“So my mom sent me a screenshot of that while we were working on the house,” said Barakat. “And she suggested that we make that dream come true.”

Barakat credits his Muslim faith for the fact that his family was able to respond to tragedy with positivity.

“Because at the end of the day, if I did get angry and hateful, Craig Hicks has another victim. And I’m not letting that happen,” he says.

But in the midst of all the darkness his family has faced, Barakat wants to remain a light for Muslim youth in Raleigh.

The space serves as more than just a physical space for these programs. Barakat uses his background as an entrepreneur to offer fiscal mentorship and sponsorship to help small ideas grow to full nonprofits.

Right now, the Lighthouse is home to three, soon to be four nonprofits.