Mr. Jabari Palmer was born on February 1, 1983, to Mrs. Sandra Smith and Mr. Wayne Palmer in LA, California. The Palmer family was later uprooted to Rochester, New York.

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As a young boy, he was forced to grow up on the streets of Rochester. At the age of twelve years old, he began to sell drugs to provide food for his family after his stepfather was deported back to Jamaica for selling drugs. The deportation of his stepfather left the family in a deplorable condition. Although his mother tried to provide for the family, it wasn’t enough; therefore, Jabari was forced to become man of the house early. He went to the streets to help ease the strain on his mother; he wasn’t old enough to hold down employment.

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Jabari’s choice to sell on the streets landed him in a juvenile detention center for a short period. His troubles didn’t stop there; he received a gun charge at the age of 24. He was in prison for three years and placed on probation following release. 

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After release, Jabari was headed in the right direction, but the loss of his loving mother left a hole in his heart that pushed him back to the streets and old acquaintances. Though his heart pained, he remembered he had a goal to complete, and that was to complete his education. Jabari became a Certified Building Analyst, working for a company that repaired low-income houses. This kept him focused for five years.

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Following being laid off, he returned to the streets to support himself. That one wrong decision led him to drink, sell, and use narcotics. Realizing that decision was wrong, he packed his bags and headed west to Texas. Unfortunately, after leaving New York and moving to the big state, he was charged with a crime he did not commit because he moved with a family that was involved in a crime. Having two felonies connected to his name, he did not allow that to stop him from striving for a better future. The desire to change came after he nearly lost his life in a toxic relationship with a stripper, which caused him to in out of the hospital. To start a better journey for his life he dismissed old friends and toxic family members out of his life who were no good for him.

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Mr. Palmer got married and gave his life to God and began seeking the Lord for truth. He is a contractor and works with the Arise Counseling Center. Mr. Palmer made positive changes in his life as he impacted others regularly. He battled for years to gain a sense of normalcy and sanity, mainly because he started at twelve with a hard life. He is the one who has yielded his heart to Christ. His roots were the opposite of Christianity.

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He had to learn on his own to break his smoking and drinking addiction which was a toxic trait in his family and with friends he associated himself with. He’s meeting people coming off the street who’ve been incarcerated and homeless and touching them where they are. He understands their plight and doesn’t judge or condemn them. His ministry is to reach people who come off the street willing to work in temporary positions.

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At ACC, he’s very relatable. His main hobby is reading and teaching people at a variety of levels. He can speak to the unlearned and the well-educated. Jabari is proof that people can rise above adverse conditions in life. He’s a happily married man, and he’s also a father. Statistics said he wouldn’t live, but he did against all odds. Compared to those he knew, Mr. Palmer’s life can be a testament to the fact that when people are willing to rise the only way is up.