School is just getting started for some students. But little do they know, they're in for a special surprise. A group of Black male educators wanted to make sure students were excited for their first day of school. On Tuesday, September 5, across the greater Philadelphia area, hundreds of Black men wearing suits welcomed students back to school. https://twitter.com/BMECFellowship/status/905515503036358657 The initiative,
"Suit Up, Show Up", asked 300 men of color to show up at Wilmington’s East Side Charter School first thing Tuesday. “As our students are coming in on the first day of school, we want them to be able to connect with incredible leaders and mentors to be able to understand where they can see their future selves," said Aaron Bass, CEO for Vision Academies. Vision Academies runs East Side Charter School and Charter School of New Castle’s middle and elementary schools. Approximately 84 percent of
East Side Charter’s students come from low-income families, and about 91 percent of the school’s students were African-American last year. The event—the first of its kind at the school—exceeded its expectations.