Geoffrey Canada refused to get sucked into the black hole of poverty that is The South Bronx. The third of four sons, Canada grew up like many poor, black kids in the South Bronx, with a single mother. But he did not just want to join the overwhelming statistic of kids in the Bronx that drop out of school...he was determined to change the world. So he did well in high school, got accepted to Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He had done so well at Bowdoin, that he went on to receive a Master's Degree in Education from Harvard. Not only had he already overcome every stereotype from his old neighborhood, but he had gone far beyond the expectations of anyone, graduating from the finest school in the country.
But it wasn't enough for Geoffrey Canada to just change his future, he wanted to change the future of every kid from Harlem...
As President of the Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families in 1990, Canada decided that the scope of Rheedlen was far too small and was not reaching enough kids, so by starting Harlem Children's Zone, Canada aimed to reach the kids of more than 24 blocks in Harlem. This was revolutionary. No one had ever attempted to reach out to that large of a group of Harlem students before, but Canada's hope-filled reach proved more than successful. Today, Harlem Children's Zone plays an active role in a student's academic career from birth to graduation, with students from over 100 blocks in Harlem. That's over 17,000 children.
Perhaps the biggest recognition for Geoffrey Canada's work came from President Obama himself, with Obama's plan of the 20 Promise Neighborhoods Program looking to replicate Harlem Children Zone's work in 20 cities across the country. And with $10 million in federal grants, the HCZ is on the road to change not just Harlem, but all of America.
Check out Geoffrey Canada in Waiting For Superman, the 2010 documentary from David Guggenheim on the state of the American public schools system.
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