Strength through Diversity

Harlem Prep and the Rise of Multiculturalism

By Barry M. Goldenberg

Rutgers University Press

For nearly seven years, from 1967 to 1974, many hundreds of bright, college-going youth—most of whom had previously been labeled as high school “dropouts”—would proudly celebrate their graduation from Harlem Prep, a small educational experiment that grew to become a nationally renowned, cherished community institution in the iconic Black neighborhood of Harlem. Operating in a repurposed supermarket that used blackboards as classroom dividers, the school’s unique multicultural philosophy inspired all who stepped foot inside. This philosophy, exemplified by the school’s motto of “unity through diversity,” shaped the school’s ethos, fostered student achievement, and, most of all, made Harlem Prep distinct from any other educational institution, past or present. In Strength through Diversity, Barry M. Goldenberg shares the history of this one-of-a-kind multicultural institution from its rise to its apex and decline, revealing the collective stories of hope, struggle, and love from administrators, teachers, community members, and students. Using history as a blueprint, Goldenberg illustrates the untapped potential of multicultural education in the ongoing quest for educational equity.

In Strength through Diversity, the story of Harlem Prep has been told with deep care for the people at the center of its research. Barry Goldenberg's dedication to preserving and presenting the voices of the people who made this extraordinary history has resurrected this incredible school and its mission to focus on people left behind and ignored by the mainstream education system. Hopefully, we will learn from and build from this inspiring book because, now more than ever, we need more schools like Harlem Prep. Brian Purnell, author of Fighting Jim Crow in the County of Kings: The Congress of Racial Equality in Brooklyn

BARRY M. GOLDENBERG is a lecturer in the Education Sciences and MAT + Credential programs in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of Generations of Giving: The History of the Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation (2017).

Preface
Introduction
            Part I   The Origins of Harlem Prep, 1966–1968
1     Callender, Carpenter, and the Founding of Harlem Prep
2     Seeds of Multiculturalism in the Inaugural Year
            Part II The Rise of Harlem Prep, 1968–1972
3     Laying the Groundwork: Administrators and the Supermarket Space
4     The Practice of the Carpenters’ Multiculturalism Vision
5     “As I Taught, I Learned”: Teachers, Pedagogy, and the Education Program
6     “It Saved Me”: Students, Their Stories, and a Commencement to Remember
7     Building a Community Coalition: Harlem Prep’s Supporters and “Friends”
            Part II The Decline of Harlem Prep, 1972–1974
8     Diverging Realities: Adaptability and Uncertainty in a Changing Era
9     The Final Year and Struggle with the New York City Board of Education
Epilogue

Preface ix
Introduction: Multiculturalism, Harlem, and the Power of Student Potential 1
PA R T I
The Origins of Harlem Prep, 1966–1968
1 Callender, Carpenter, and the Founding of Harlem Prep 17
2 Seeds of Multiculturalism in the Inaugural Year 37
PA R T I I The Rise of Harlem Prep, 1968–1972
3 Laying the Groundwork: Administrators and the Supermarket Space 59
4 The Practice of the Carpenters’ Multicultural Vision 73
5 “As I Taught, I Learned”: Teachers, Pedagogy, and the Educational Program 89
6 “It Saved Me”: Students, Their Stories, and Commencements to Remember 113
7 Building a Community Coalition: Harlem Prep’s Supporters and “Friends” 132
PA RT I I I The Descent of Harlem Prep, 1972–1974
8 Diverging Realities: Adaptability and Uncertainty in a Changing Era 159
9 The Final Year and Struggle with the New York City Board of Education 177
Epilogue: The Legacy of Harlem Prep 199
Acknowledgments 207
Oral History and Interview Participants 213
Notes 215
Index 000

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