Philadelphia pastor, entrepreneur, and content creator HMBL Zayy (Isaiah Thomas) completed a 3,000-mile faith walk from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to raise awareness and funds for HMBL University, a trade school for underserved youth. He raised nearly $200,000, walked for 124 days, and live-streamed the entire journey — no weapons, no shortcuts.
What does it take to walk 3,000 miles across the United States? For most people, the logistics alone would be enough to kill the idea before it starts. For HMBL Zayy, it was an act of faith.
The Philadelphia pastor, entrepreneur, and content creator — born Isaiah Thomas — recently sat down with Sway Calloway and Heather B on Sway in the Morning to share the story behind his incredible coast-to-coast trek. What unfolded over 124 days was more than a physical journey. It was a mission to change lives, expose uncomfortable truths about modern America, and lay the foundation for something permanent: HMBL University.
Here’s the full story.
From a Hospital Bed to a 3,000-Mile Walk
Nine months before he took his first step toward California, HMBL Zayy was in a hospital bed. A serious car accident left him with a broken shoulder, fractured ribs, and spinal injuries. He had to relearn how to walk.
“I’m literally just super grateful to be able to walk after that accident,” Zayy shared during his Sway in the Morning interview.
That gratitude didn’t stay quiet. During Black History Month, he completed a walk from Philadelphia to the Virginia Slave Trail. Then came a trip to Disney World with kids from his neighborhood — children who had never left the city. Watching their faces light up, Zayy realized he needed to do something bigger and more lasting. That moment sparked the idea for HMBL University, and the faith walk was born.
The Vision Behind HMBL University
HMBL Zayy isn’t walking for social media clout. Every mile logged was a step toward something real: a trade school for underserved youth in Philadelphia.
Growing up, Zayy watched talented kids fail to reach their potential — not because they lacked ability, but because they lacked the right environment. He lost friends to the streets. He understood the pull firsthand. Building HMBL University is his answer to that pull.
What HMBL University aims to provide:
- Practical trade skills to help young people become entrepreneurs and skilled workers
- A safe, structured environment that competes with the streets
- Positive representation — showing youth that you can be “cool and positive” at the same time
“It’s all up here,” Zayy said, pointing to his head. “You just gotta have the drive and don’t give up.”
He wants HMBL University students to look at their founder and know: if he could walk across the country through every obstacle imaginable, they can overcome anything in their own lives.
Day 34: Hit by a Car, Still Going
On Day 34 of his walk, HMBL Zayy was struck by a car. His family urged him to stop. The internet watched. Most people would have called it there.
Zayy kept walking.
“Everything that I went through — when people was telling me to stop — I said, ‘No, just keep the faith. Because at the end of the day, if I get to this finish line, it’s going to be thousands of people whose faith is going to increase.'”
Beyond the accident, the journey threw constant challenges his way:
- Wildlife encounters — rattlesnakes became routine in the desert; he also spotted moose, elk, and coyotes in Colorado
- Physical toll — 124 days of walking reduced his body fat to just 2%
- Psychological pressure — the entire journey was live-streamed, placing every moment under public scrutiny
Walking Through Sundown Towns in 2024
One of the most sobering chapters of HMBL Zayy’s journey was navigating modern-day sundown towns — a reality many Americans believe belongs to the past.
It doesn’t.
Zayy walked through at least four towns, primarily in Illinois, where the hostility was immediate and undeniable. On one occasion, captured live on stream, police pulled over his team after receiving calls about “two colored males” allegedly on drugs. In another incident, someone falsely reported that Zayy had pulled a gun.
He carried no weapon. He never wavered.
“I walk with faith. I walk with God. What good would [a weapon] be?” he told Sway.
The live stream turned each encounter into documentation. Sway summed it up best: “This is when streaming is done right.” Rather than becoming a source of outrage or despair, Zayy used these moments to educate his growing global community about a side of America that rarely makes headlines.
The Moments That Made It Worth It
Amid the hardship, HMBL Zayy’s journey was filled with moments of genuine human connection.
The standout? The Navajo Nation.
“It was like the Native Americans treated me like family out there,” Zayy recalled. His team spent about four days walking through their land, gaining perspective on a community and culture that many Americans overlook entirely. The experience moved him deeply — and gave his audience something equally meaningful.
Strangers across the country pulled up with water when he was dehydrated. Communities welcomed him. His live-streaming audience grew into what Zayy describes as a family — people praying for each other, forming friendships, and showing up every day to keep him encouraged.
“A lot of people played a huge part in this journey. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”
And in a full-circle moment, Philadelphia rap legend Kurupt surprised Zayy in the Sway in the Morning studio to personally salute him — a nod from one Philly icon to another.
Key Lessons From HMBL Zayy’s Faith Walk
Whether you’re building a business, chasing a dream, or just trying to get through a hard season, Zayy’s journey offers lessons that translate well beyond 3,000 miles.
1. Test your faith deliberately. Zayy argues that modern life — social media, work, endless noise — leaves no room to truly test what you believe. Putting himself in a position of total reliance on God gave him a clarity he couldn’t find anywhere else.
2. Don’t wait for a leader — become one. Instead of hoping someone else would step up for Philadelphia’s youth, Zayy became that person. He used his platform and his pain to build something that will outlast the walk itself.
3. Consistency beats inspiration. Inspiration got Zayy to the starting line. Consistency — day after day, through injuries, harassment, and exhaustion — got him to Los Angeles.
How to Support HMBL University
To date, HMBL Zayy has raised nearly $200,000 toward HMBL University. It’s a remarkable start, but building a fully operational trade school requires significantly more. Zayy has made it straightforward for supporters to contribute.
Find his GoFundMe link across all his platforms and HERE:
- Instagram / TikTok / Facebook: @hmblzay
A Walk That Changed Everything
HMBL Zayy arrived in Los Angeles lighter in body weight and heavier in purpose. He exposed racial inequities still alive in parts of America. He built a global community around faith, discipline, and service. And he proved — in the most literal way possible — that the distance between a dream and reality is just a matter of how far you’re willing to go.
The road to HMBL University is still long. But HMBL Zayy has already shown he knows how to take it one step at a time.
