1946-2009
Dr. Frank Mickens, The Chancellor of Fulton St. He started as a coach and became a now nationally recognized New York City educator as former principal of Boys and Girls High School, who has made a huge impact, not only on the lives of his students but also on the lives of thousands, anyone who he had come across. His main goal was to ensure that every black kid in his community had a chance to make it, he wanted them to make it to college, he wanted them to have good jobs after they graduated, he wanted to make a difference.
Some obstacles that came and went for Dr. Mickens would be going against the Department of Education, in order to pursue his way of helping and teaching his children. He strived for things that he knew the DOE wouldn’t support and persisted anyway. He pulled off something that no one else could. It’s also incredible how he was able to make such a huge difference during the height of the crack era.
He had the ability to rally people up and present new ideas which is one of the many things that made him a great principal. He also understood the culture and dynamics of how urban kids grew up. “It was more than just the educator aspect, he was actually a father figure to many of us” quoted from one of his former students, who, to this day, is amazed at how much Mickens impacted his life and the lives of his peers. Dr. Mickens was a visionary and a very loving person. He interacted with his kids, made sure that he was a part of their everyday lives. He made sure they knew that they were worthy of success and nothing less than. He protected his students and even students who weren’t his. Mickens was the perfect example of Tough Love, he was stern with his students but it was only out of love and the desire to see them make it. Everyone respected him and the mission he was on. He was one of a kind.
