Broward County Public Schools Hosts The American Promise: A Rare and Compelling Exploration of Race, Class and Opportunity in America

Kerline K. Jules with the Co-Producer of The American Promise, Joe Brewster. Photo Courtesy of The K. Jules Project.

Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 24, 2014 — BCPS Student Support Initiatives – Diversity, Cultural Outreach & Prevention Department, in partnership with the Children’s Services Council of Broward County and United Way of Broward County, hosted a screening of the American Promise documentary, which highlighted the challenges facing African-American youths.  The American Promise is an intimate and provocative account, recorded over 12 years, of the experiences of two middle-class African-American boys who entered a very prestigious—and historically white—private school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The Dalton School had made a commitment to recruit students of color, and five-year-old best friends Idris Brewster and Oluwaseun (Seun) Summers of Brooklyn were two of the gifted children who were admitted. The boys were placed in a demanding environment that provided new opportunities and challenges, if little reflection of their cultural identities.

Co-Stars Idris and Seun in The American Promise

“American Promise provides an outstanding, honest portrayal of the complexities involved in steering black boys to success where cultural barriers and environmental obstacles still remain.” —Alvin F. Poussaint, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

American Promise is a co-production of Rada Film Group, ITVS and POV’s Diverse Voices Project (DVP) ITVS and DVP receive funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The film is part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a national public media initiative made possible by CPB to identify and implement solutions to the dropout crisis and help parents and teachers keep students on the path to a successful future.

About The American Promise Campaign (www.americanpromise.org)

In partnership with trusted organizations around the country, the American Promise team has launched a national campaign to mobilize young people, families and educators to identify ways that Americans can better support black boys’ social and emotional needs and encourage people to consider the role they play in advancing success for all children. This endeavor is supported by a set of strategic tools: a special campaign with Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Mentoring Brothers in Action program, a companion book published to coincide with the POV broadcast, guided local parent-student support groups, a mobile app that will regularly provide tips for parents and more.

Source Broward County Public Schools & The American Promise