Entire Senior Class Of All-Black, All-Male Chicago School Accepted To College
A day doesn’t go by when without news about young black men being killed or locked up. But here’s some good news out of Chicago: the entire senior class of Chicago’s Urban Prep Academy for Young Men has been accepted to college. You won’t hear about these intelligent young brothas in the mainstream press because it’s not a negative story about black men.
It’s great to see kids like the students of Urban Prep Academy achieving their goals. When I contrast them with a good-for-nothing like Chris Brown who, at age 21, is a convicted felon who can’t pull his pants up, it gives me hope for the future of our kids.
Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman surprised students at an all-school assembly at Urban Prep Academy for Young Men in Englewood this morning to congratulate them. It’s the first graduating class at Urban Prep since it opened its doors in 2006.
The school enforces a strict uniform of black blazers, khaki pants and red ties — with one exception. After a student receives the news he was accepted into college, he swaps his red tie for a red and gold one at an assembly.
The last 13 students received their college ties today, to thunderous applause.
Ask Rayvaughn Hines what college he was accepted to and he’ll answer with a question.
“Do you want me to name them all?”
For the 18-year-old from Back of the Yards, college was merely a concept–never a goal–growing up. Even within the last three years, he questioned if school, let alone college, was for him. Now, the senior is headed to the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. next fall.
Hines remembers the moment he put on his red and gold tie.
“I wanted to take my time because I was just so proud of myself,” he said. “I wanted everyone to see me put it on.” Read More…
Photos: Splash News Online
Thanks to loyal reader Shana for the tip!
81 Responses to “Entire Senior Class Of All-Black, All-Male Chicago School Accepted To College”
Comments are closed for this post
Recent Posts
- Just when John Travolta thought things couldn’t get any worse
- Celebs Out & About: Will and Jada Smith, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Christina Milian, Slick Rick
- Daughter of Former Xscape Member, Tamika Scott, Graduates
- Rihanna Debuts Her Natty Dreads On ’2012 Idol Finale’ (Video)
- Fantasia and Joshua Ledet Perform Live On American Idol Finale (Video)
Hot Topics
Sandra leave Chris alone if you are going to give those bright young brothas their shine do so without being negative…
Great news!!
Thanks for posting this. I don’t think the comments about Chris Brown were necessary though. It sort of took away from the article.
Good for them!!! What does Chris have to do with this? I mean we know T.I. isn’t exactly a Rhodes Scholar
Congrats to these young men trying to better themselves. I love it when any1 is trying to better themselves the RIGHT way.
Sanrdra don’t try to uplift black men and then drag another brother down at the same time…You always gotta bring the negative out of something positive…CB is successful as well
Honestly I forgot she even mentioned CB in this post after reading the whole story. This is great! I know their parents and teachers are proud. I heard they got a free prom or something.
Annnnnnnnd for the record, this is the third time I have heard this story in the past few days. In fact, the principal was on the radio the other night talking about it. So,I beg to differ that manistream press ins’t carrying it!
That is great news, Finally some Good News coming out of my City…Great Job Guys and Good Luck to your future…. #CHITOWN stand up and clap.
Great story (sans the CB jabs). Congrats to the seniors!
Choco Says:
Sandra leave Chris alone if you are going to give those bright young brothas their shine do so without being negative…
___________
THATS AWESOME!!!!!
NOW THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!!
You’re kinda late Sandra.
But, this is the news that I would love to hear more often!!!!
That is great!!! I hope to hear an updated story of these young men in the years to come.
@FLO
How was your lunch girl you had me envious when you said the beach is not to far : )
It was nice, a little breezy though.. But its always nice by the water.
I
SR this was a great post. These young men put in all the work as well as their teachers and parents! 100% college acceptance rate is unheard of (at least where i’m from)!
nice!
This brought tears to my eyes. This is so wonderful to hear. CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!!!!!
You have made us proud.
Awesome!
No need for CB in this post, let them have their moment
I agree Sandra is late w/this post but still glad she posted the story
Well done young men
Team Chris
Chicago have several schools that have an 100% college acceptance rate. I went to one of them. Chi-Town represent!
I read this story yesterday. Job well gone
Choco Says:
Sandra leave Chris alone if you are going to give those bright young brothas their shine do so without being negative…
——————————
she can’t help herself!
anyhoo, this is awesome!! there are lots of young Black men achieving great things academically and their stories are published in the mainstream press. i read and see success stories about young Black men and women on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, etc…guess you gotta be focusing on the positive and not the negative and you’ll see this kinda thing more often.
You go boys. Excuse me. You go young men!!!!
Standing Ovation for our educated young Black Men!!!
We don’t need anymore entertainers.
@FLO
the water is sooo therapeutic for me-
@Iscream
My sister said the same thing when she forwarded this email to me : )
This is wonderful !!!!!
Glad my city is in the press for something AWESOME and not some heinous crime. Congrats gentlemen!
This story warms my heart, I could read it over and over again.
I’ve always loved the idea of an all boys school. I will certainly bust my rump to get my son in one once he has to attend highschool. Hormones and girls cause boys to try to show each other up.
wonderful.
@ Choco -
Me too.. Im a water sign (scorpio). Im just ready for it to warm up already dammit
Congratulations to all of them! I have to share this with everyone. This makes me so proud. I always feel like kids today should have positive images and role models. Not everyone needs to be a rapper, ballplayer and so on.
iscream Says:
I’ve always loved the idea of an all boys school. I will certainly bust my rump to get my son in one once he has to attend highschool. Hormones and girls cause boys to try to show each other up. wonderful.
__________
I agree. My brother went from a straight A student to getting a G.E.D. He got a little bit of that nookie and next thing ya know, thats all he wanted.
I’m so proud of them all good to read stories like this where is mizzdallas when you need her that Chris comment was not needed…sit down Sandra
@ Ohso -
Saaaayyyyy wwwhhhaaattt????
Where she say that at?
Doing what they are suppossed to do? What a novel idea.
I love their smiling faces!
This is outstanding….
Awesome story. It didn’t have to have the negative comments. TI wears his “Pants on the Ground” also but you never comment on him. Hmmmmm. Are him and Tiny giving you a check?
@Florida: uhhhhh cant give u the site on here. I wonder if i can say who owns the site…here goes (Natasha).
hope this doesnt put me back on lurking status
@ ohso- He probably told her that……again. If she can keep up the threesomes with the strippers, maybe he will wife her.
Love it posted this a week ago
T.I. ain’t wifin’ Babe no time soon. Why mess up a “good” thing?!?
Ask Rayvaughn Hines what college he was accepted to and he’ll answer with a question.
“Do you want me to name them all?”
This statement right here sent chills through my body. That young man said “DO. YOU . WANT. ME. TO . NAME . THEM . ALL?”
More than one college accepted him and others. AMEN!! I’m smiling for the rest of the day. 
Chitown stand up!!! I’ve seen this on several main stream channels so it’s being reported and it’s a good thing
OutsidetheBox Says:
Doing what they are suppossed to do? What a novel idea.
I love their smiling faces!
This story is a great feel good though. Congrats to all. It takes a village from the parents to the teachers to the administraters and the kids.
~~~~~~~~
I love the smiling faces also. Yes they are doing what they are suppose to be doing like when a father steps up to the plate and takes care of his kid(s).
Congratulations to the young men!!! They deserve their own shine for all their hard work, there was no need to include Chris Brown.
Is Chris Brown performing at their assembly? Why is Sandra putting up his picture unnecessarily? *side eye* leave that woman beater alone AUNTY!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE YOUNG MEN! I pray they all make it big in life.
Hello All! Great post! Congrats to Chicago’s Urban Prep Academy! Just call em butter cause they’re on a roll!!!! As for Chris, the ire of Sandra is heavy because he’s light-skinned-ed. Let’s call a spade a spade. Peace.
#CHI-TOWN STAND UP INDEED
Great post, Sandra!!!
It takes a village from the parents to the teachers to the administraters and the kids.
Its GREAT to see black men doing something with their lives besides hanging out in the streets on a daily basis and making babies all over town !!!! ALWAYS refreshing to hear good stories like this one !!!
LOL @ Ohso -
I’ll do my research after work.. My job computer blocks most of those sites
HEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY Corporate
This is GREAT!
CorporateHoodB-tch Says:
#CHI-TOWN STAND UP INDEED
Great post, Sandra!!!
—–
Yes, indeed
HEEYYY FLO *jumps up and down waving*
Sorry, I posted then got a phone call.
Is that your son sleeping in the pic? Pure cuteness!!!
Wow, this is amazing news!! This should be on CNN AND FoxNews! Congrats to these young men, their parents and educators!
Let’s hear it for the boys. Congrats to these up and coming bruthas!!!!
Again….CHI-Town Stand up!!!!!!!!!!!!
Job Well done. My sister graduated from Englewood in 1996 when it was girls and boys…ooohhhh lawd that school was off the chain. It was one of the worst schools in the city at the time. It’s located in the heart of Englewood.
The Chicago school system is going through some rough changes right now. They are closing schools, firing teachers and trying to take away sports programs from public schools because of funding (whatever).
I’m glad our young black men are getting some positive shine from this.
Let’s give a
for these YOUNG MEN!
OMG, this story really took me back to my high school years. I felt the same way about college, it was a concept, but never a reality. Hell I was nearly kicked out of my high school freshman year for always skipping class. Then I remember applying for a summer job when I turned 14, and I had to lie about my GPA because it was low (a 1.6) and the minimum was a 2.0. That was my wake-up call. After that happened, I was told myself, “you’re graduating and going to college and graduate, no matter how long it takes.”
Now close to 12 years later (from age 14), I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science minor in Mathematics, and currently pursuing my masters, and hopefully i’ll be walking May 2011. I’m say all that to say this, ANY and EVERYTHING is possible as long as you believe.
It really warms my heart when I see young black teenagers going outside the “norm”. I know it’s hard because I had to do it, and I had to leave people who were not on the same page as me behind…
This is beautiful
!!!
My nephew goes to Kipp and they make sure all there kids also get full scholarships to top schools…boy do they work there asses off daily…even on the weekends!!!
It pays off though
!!!!
Not to put a damper on the situation but did you all here about the school superintendent in Detroit that can’t read or write if Albert Einstein himself was his tutor. The read one of his emails on the local news there and I about died. Good news, he’s terrific in math. Oh and unfortunately he’s black. I just wonder how he got the job. I wanna see who the ppl are that they passed on.
Yawn, wow excuse me, but sorry I’m just not impressed. Call me in five years and let’s look at the their college graduation rate.
@birdofbeauty09
You Go Girl!
Hey, I know I sound like a prude on this one, but, the honest truth is that at most non black colleges the black graduation rate is between 8 to 13 percent in 5 years. Let’s have higher expectations.
gypsyeyes Says:
Not to put a damper on the situation but did you all here about the school superintendent in Detroit that can’t read or write if Albert Einstein himself was his tutor. The read one of his emails on the local news there and I about died. Good news, he’s terrific in math. Oh and unfortunately he’s black. I just wonder how he got the job. I wanna see who the ppl are that they passed on.
about him being good in Math.
~~~~~~~
That’s a darn shame, but we are talking about Detroit. No offense to any Detroiters in the room.
Its too cold in the D to be worried about writin’ and ish!
@Anna: Thanks! Sometimes when I think about my teenage years, I can’t believe how much I have overcome. Sometimes I think, “Why me? What about me is so special?” I’ve known A LOT of smart people who for whatever reasons let the negativity consume them.
OMG!!! This is the best news I have heard in a long time. This is what our community needs. There should have been NO
here but we will be us (as evident with the Chris Brown insert) so I digress.
This story brought tears to my eyes. The joy on these young men’s faces is priceless. I loved it. A group of young men who weren’t reading on a 9th grade level when they began 4 years ago has overcome so many obstacles and are celebrating TOGETHER! They deserve our encouragement and congratulations!
I am so encouraged for the future of my own 5 year old son by this story! An all boys school is an excellent idea. Our communities are suffering and the dropout rates are astounding. If we could just take a moment from worshipping Bey and Jay, ridiculing Amber and Kim K.,
Also, congratualtions to their school and the educators there who were committed to producing this outcome! I am so proud and grateful.
and trying to figure out who is sleeping with whom and wheteher or not Trey is gay and just focus on the awesomeness of this news- we would probably do a little better. These boys deserve shine!
*stepping away from my sermon because I love my gossip sites but I wanna see more of this too on the real*
tHIS WAS SUCH A POSITIVE POST ABOUT THESE YOUNG BLACK MALES. SANDRA WAS THE CHRIS BROWN POST NECESSARY.. IT REALLY TOOK AWAY FROM THE ARTICLE.
Best news I’ve heard in a long time, excellent for our young black men!!!!
Sandra, THANKS for posting this story about the educated, young black men. So refreshing! And THANKS-THANKS for reminding the mainstream media that they are racist cowards!!
I saw this awesome story on the news and was instantly motivated and inspired! I am extremely proud of the school leaders, their parents, and the students…definitely a team effort!
Congrats to all of them!!
Wow this is a GREAT story. FINALLY! CONGRATS to them!!
And the CB jab did take away from the young men accomplishments…I mean if CB doesn’t want to get an education then that’s his life…The post should have just focus on these young men…
Thank you Sandra, for this post. It let’s me know that there is hope, for the young black male in America today.