100 Black Men of Orlando claim a failing school — and then turn it around!

Tonight I spoke before 100 Black Men of Orlando, and while they say I inspired them, the reality is that they inspired me as well. More than 1,000 local leaders from throughout Orlando, Florida attended the annual 100 Black Men of Orlando Scholarship Dinner tonight in the main ballroom of the Rosen Centre Hotel, owned by friend Harris Rosen. The formal part of the program was the presentation of 30 plus scholarships to young African-American male and female achievers from Jones High School in Orlando, but it was the backstory that so inspired me. It will inspire you too. For a very long time, Jones High School was ranked one of the worst in the state. That and the fact that it was a historically significant African-American high school was enough to inspire 100 Black Men of Orlando to take action. And so, they adopted the school, dedicating both resources and time to turning the school around. The result, the Washington Post recently reported that of all schools nationwide, Jones High School ranked amongst the top 9% of all schools for achievement…Read More