“Everyone wants to say that we are courageous and extraordinary, but no, we are giggling just like teenagers would and sort of having fun” Minnijean Brown, one of the original Little Rock Nine.

I just finished watching a moving documentary titled Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later. It focused on what actually happens now since the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School.

Little Rock Central High

The documentary followed black and white students and shows the achievement gap within the school. The principal,  Nancy Rousseau tries tirelessly to integrate the schools.

Working now at Baltimore City Public Schools Headquarters, I visit many schools around the city during my first full school year of employment.  On this fathers day I look at the boys and girls around the city and see that black and brown kids need male role models like me and  show them despite their surroundings they can succeed and be anything they want in life.

These cliches are written throughout the educational system–work hard and you will be rewarded. I would like to add one more–work hard–network–and you will be rewarded.

I recently met an enterprising student named Jonathan that  came to our television studio for a mock interview. What impressed me about him is that he took my contact information and actually followed up.   There is a saying that I have heard that says “talent will take you to the top, but only character will keep you there.” Jonathan admittedly didn’t know much about television production but his willing to learn and his character made the difference.

To those brave nine students in Little Rock who endured countless racial epithets and put themselves in harms way for all of us to get a better education–your character shines through bright long after the 50 year celebrations have been done.