Renowned educator pays a visit

Central High School student Geoffrey Canada Jr. headlined a Black History Month event at the school on Feb. 27, introducing his father, educator and social activist Geoffrey Canada Sr., whose work with the Harlem Children’s Zone and other projects has gained him substantial national recognition, including appearing in the documentary “Waiting for Superman.”

The elder Canada followed by saying he has been introduced many times by individuals of the highest stature, but this was the one he was most proud of. He told the two dozen assembled students about his childhood in the Bronx, where most of his friends never made it to the age of 25. Before he got stuck in the mess that was Morris High School in the Bronx, he moved in with friends in Wyandanch, which had a far better public school system.

“Going to a decent school changed my life,” he said. He told the students that they should know how much they can accomplish through education.

“You have an opportunity to do great things in this country,” he said. “If you had asked me when I was your age, would I be personal friends with the president of the United States — not just this president but others — I would have said no. There was no way, coming from where I was coming from, that was a possibility. But you live in a great country where I will tell you: the key to success is education…I know this is a terrific school. I could have sent Geoff Jr. to any school I wanted to. I wanted him to be right here in Valley Stream.”

Other students presented political and cultural figures including model Tyra Banks, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, actress Lupita Nyong’o, statesman Booker T. Washington, Black History Month founder Carter G. Woodson, Cuban poet La Muralla, astronaut Mae Jemison, filmmaker Tyler Perry, singer John Legend and activist Malcolm X. Student David Bolocboloc gave a spirited account of Malcolm X’s life, sauntering back and forth as he described the activist’s bold philosophies, until he reached his finale, whipping off his glasses as he launched into a final quote.

“A race of people is like an individual man,” Bolocboloc quoted, “until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.”