‘America’s principal’ speaks at Black History Month kickoff
'I could care less about common core ... charter schools, and merit pay'
Asbury Park’s Second Baptist Church’s Men’s Ministry Christian Education Department and Youth Ministry on Saturday celebrated the start of Black History Month with a celebration service at the church on Atkins Avenue, where Principal Baruti Kafele gave a keynote address.
Kafele calls himself “America’s Principal.”
After 20 plus years working as an educator in urban school districts, Kafele left the profession to become a speaker and consultant. He now addresses audiences across the globe about what he terms the “attitude gap” between students who choose to achieve and those who do not.
Several members of the congregation participated during the celebration, singing songs, performing dances and reading poetry and prose that recalled the history and plight of African Americans, which Kafele said did not start with slavery in America but instead with the ancient Egyptians.
Before Kafele spoke, two members of Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 241 of the Second Baptist Church, Emmanuel Leveille and Ilajah Levielle, read poems entitled “Who am I?” and “What is your life’s blueprint.” The sentiments of self-worth, self-knowledge and self-reflection would be carried in to Kafele’s speech, as Kafele believes they are the true measurements of a successful education.
“I could care less about common core, evaluations, charter schools, and merit pay,” he said. “I am interested in [students] answering the question, who am I?”
According to Kafele, once a man can think for himself and answer that question, “nothing can stop him.”
He also told the young members of the audience they should be mentally exhausted at the end of the school day, and that if they are not, it means they are not being challenged enough.
“There is more to success than being a basketball player, football player or musician,” he said.
Kafele encouraged reading and thinking rooted in the rich history and culture of African Americans, which reaches back to the days the Egyptians built the pyramids in Egypt, he said.
“Many educators need to understand what our kids are up against,” said Daniel Harris, who is the chair of the men’s ministry at the church and worked with Kafele at Newark Technical School.
“It is imperative that our young people understand who they are and that they respect our glorious past,” Harris said. “As Kafele said, ‘black history did not start with slavery in America’ — we start our young people at a deficit when we start explaining our history at that point. We are much more than that.”
“When you know who you are, the labels other put on you have no value,” said Asbury Park Board of Education member Felicia Simmons, who also attended the event.
The boy scouts gave a presentation of prominent African Americans who were all scouts at one time, including baseball’s Hank Aaron, astronaut Guion S. Bluford, Jr., basketball’s Michael Jordan, civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President Barack Obama and actor Richard Roundtree, famous for his portrayal of Detective John Shaft.
Congressman Frank Pallone, who said he had not planned on speaking but wanted to stop by, spoke of the notion of opportunity.
“Opportunity is what the American dream is all about,” he said, “that we all have an equal opportunity to succeed.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed Principal Kafele and all the presenters in the program,” Daniel Harris’ daughter Nicolle Harris, who is also a member of the Asbury Park Board of Education and said she is now even more fired up about the work that lies ahead for the board.
“Taking a look back on the rich history of the African American Community always inspires me to pass forward towards excellence,” she said.
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