Barack Obama Leadership Academy to open in August
VIDEO - It may be empty now, but the auditorium and hallways of Dallas' new Barack Obama Leadership Academy will be filled to the brim when it opens its doors in August...
It may be empty now, but the auditorium and hallways of Dallas’ new Barack Obama Leadership Academy will be filled to the brim when it opens its doors in August.
This will be the Dallas Independent School District’s first all-boys school, and there is lots of activity is underway at the site and behind the scenes to make sure the school lives up to expectations.
Principal Nakia Douglas sat down with NBC’s Kristi Nelson in the auditorium to talk about what he sees as a vision for the new school.
“This is the room where we have our school wide brotherhood, and within the brotherhood, this is where they get the affirmation for the day.”
Affirmations and brotherhood are among the buzzwords used by the man tapped to run the new school. Douglas says he’s been receiving applications from every race and spectrum imaginable, so the campus will be very multicultural.
”[I’m] Excited about the work that we’re about to do with our young men, because we’re going to redefine how young men are educated in the city of Dallas.”
Parents and students from the community have high expectations, and are looking forward to the school opening up. Mercedes Burch is just one of many parents who’s child has applied to the academy.
“The boys will have so much exposure by this being the newest campus in Dallas, and I think that will generate even more excitement from colleges.”
Residents Gregory Cherry, another parent, are hoping that the renovated school that was formerly B.F. Darrell School, will add a boost to the surrounding neighborhood.
“And if you’re raising all men to be strong in this community, what they’re going to do they’re also going to lift up their community as well.”
Renovations will continue through the year, and students will start filling the halls and trophy cases in August.
