Liberation, Learning, and Love: The Story of Harlem Preparatory School, 1967-1974 Barry M. Goldenberg Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2019 © 2019 Barry M. Goldenberg All rights reserved ABSTRACT Liberation, Learning, and Love: The Story of Harlem Preparatory School, 1967-1974 Barry M. Goldenberg “For we've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now we can do anything, with nothing at all.” This popular phrase at the independent tuition-free school called Harlem Prep in many ways reflected Central Harlem itself in the late-1960s. On one hand, decades of racial discrimination and unfulfilled promises had defined schooling in the neighborhood. There were no public high schools in the area, and talented youth were being pushed out of formal education. Conversely, there was a resilience and continued, centuries-long desire for educational equity. As a result—and buoyed by the dynamic political environment—a handful of leaders in Harlem decided to create a school, similar to other efforts in U.S. cities. However, unlike other emerging Black alternative schools, it would be different than its peers: it would be a multicultural school, and it would be for students who had been pushed out of education and onto the streets. “Liberation, Learning, and Love” explores the unknown history of this school, Harlem Prep. Although firmly rooted in this era’s civil rights activism, Harlem Prep’s educational philosophy—its radical multiculturalism—was also distinct and innovative compared to other ideologies. The school’s leaders, teachers, and students were able to re-imagine education on a community-wide, institutional, and classroom level. Through its “unity in diversity” approach, Harlem Prep not only graduated and sent to college over 750 students, most of them previously out of school, but galvanized the notable Black community of Harlem. This project introduces multicultural education to the lexicon of Black alternative schools in the 1960s and 1970s, and reshapes how historians conceptualize equity, emancipatory education, and beyond. Harlem Prep imagined a more loving, pluralistic world for its young people. Perhaps its story can inspire those of us who strive to create a similar future for our youth today. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Photos ii Acknowledgments iv Preface xix Introduction: Radical Multiculturalism and the Power of Student Potential 1 PART I: The Origins of Harlem Prep, 1966-1968 Chapter One Callender, Carpenter, and the Founding of Harlem Prep 53 Chapter Two The Experiment Begins: The Inaugural Year, 1967-1968 115 PART II: The Rise of Harlem Prep, 1968-1972 Chapter Three Laying the Groundwork: Administrators and the Supermarket Space 162 Chapter Four Harlem Prep in Context: Ed and Ann’s Carpenter’s Multicultural Vision 202 Chapter Five “As I Taught, I Learned”: Teachers, Pedagogy, and the Educational Program 244 Chapter Six “It Saved Me”: Students, Their Stories, and a Commencement to Remember 295 Chapter Seven Building a Community Coalition: Harlem Prep’s Supporters and Friends 341 PART III: The Descent of Harlem Prep, 1972-1974 Chapter Eight Diverging Realities at Harlem Prep: Fiscal Uncertainty in a Changing Era 406 Chapter Nine The Final Year and Struggle with the New York City Board of Education 454 Conclusion: Harlem Prep’s Multiculturalism in Perspective 516 Epilogue: The Legacy of Harlem Prep 536 Sources and Bibliography 545 i LIST OF PHOTOS Figure 1. NYUL Press Conference with Harlem Prep and Carnegie Corp., 1967 81 Figure 2. Profile of headmaster Edward F. Carpenter, ca. 1966 95 Figure 3. Students at Harlem Prep at the original Harlem Armory location, 1968 123 Figures 4 and 5. Classes at Harlem Prep at the original Harlem Armory location, 1968. 138 Figures 6 and 7. Inaugural Harlem Prep commencement ceremony, 1968. 156 Figure 8. Profile of administrator Ann Carpenter, 1971. 169 Figure 9. The Harlem Prep building on 136th Street and 8th Avenue, 1972. 189 Figure 10. Overheard view of the open-space classroom design, ca. 1971. 193 Figure 11. Harlem Prep students in class, 1971. 200 Figure 12. Group of Harlem Prep students in school’s common area, ca. 1971. 209 Figure 13. Students and Ann Carpenter working under Moja Logo slogan, ca. 1970 222 Figure 14. Harlem Prep student reading under decorated wall, ca. 1971 235 Figure 15. African Studies teacher George Simmonds lecturing, ca. 1971 249 Figure 16. Teachers and students huddled together in class, ca. 1971 258 Figure 17. Harlem Prep teacher in front of class, with Pan African symbols, ca. 1971 264 Figure 18. Math teacher Erskine Keary working one-on-one with a student, ca. 1971 272 Figures 19 and 20. Harlem Prep students with child, and students conversing, ca. 1971 307 Figures 21 and 22. Profiles of two Harlem Prep students in class, ca. 1971 317 Figures 23 and 24. Profiles of two Harlem Prep students in class, ca. 1971 320 Figures 25 and 26. Profiles of two Harlem Prep students in class, ca. 1971 321 Figure 27. Harlem Prep students sitting at commencement, 1971 330 Figure 28. Harlem Prep students, staff, and guests on stage at commencement, 1971 331 ii Figure 29. Ann Carpenter speaking at commencement, in front of guests, 1971 339 Figure 30. Harlem Prep Board of Trustee Chairman and supporters, ca. 1971 355 Figure 31. Exxon Board of Trustee Chairman with students and staff, ca. 1972 368 Figure 32. Ed Carpenter with Harlem Prep supporters at commencement, 1971 383 Figure 33. Ed Carpenter and students receiving a check from a Harlem athlete, 1972 389 Figure 34. Harlem Prep teacher counsels incoming students on registration day, 1972 436 Figure 35. Teacher John Czerniejewski leading a class, ca. 1972 438 Figure 36. Pamphlet for a Harlem Prep fundraiser, 1973 456 Figure 37. Student Penny Grinage at final Harlem Prep commencement, 1974 480 iii Acknowledgments “But may great kindness come of it in the end.” This is the last line of one of my favorite poems, shared with me by my English teacher more than a decade ago. As I think about my endless gratitude for so many special people who have made this dissertation possible, I also think of this phrase from this poem because, through all the trials and tribulations on this long journey, so many beautiful people have shown me kindness along the way. And, it is this uncommon kindness that has made this dream of a Ph.D. a reality when there were many moments where I thought this dream might fade away. It is truly impossible to give thanks fully to all the people who have contributed to my intellectual and personal development, but in these few pages to follow, I will attempt this colossal task. To my committee: First, and foremost, I want to thank my advisor and dissertation sponsor, Professor Ansley Erickson. I first entered Teachers College as a master’s student, and Professor Erickson—also new to Teachers College—kindly became my advisor, and immediately I experienced her brilliance and tried to absorb all that I could. Her classes were both inspiring and engaging, our one-on-one meetings were always insightful, and I had the great fortune of seeing an extraordinary historian and scholar meticulously refining her craft. To say that I have learned so much from her, particularly considering both us were growing in different roles—her as a professor, me as a student seeking to be like her as much as I could—would be an understatement. When I decided to stay at Teachers College and become her first doctoral advisee, I was honored—and still feel that way many years later. Over these years, Professor iv Erickson has truly taught me how to be a historian and the great responsibilities we historians have, molding me into the scholar that I am today. The ways in which I think about urban policy, create historical arguments, and understand the world around me is because of her brilliance and her sharing that brilliance with me time and time again. She has pushed me intellectually far more than I ever thought was possible, and this dissertation work on Harlem Prep, quite simply, is because of the countless conversations and hundreds of hours that she has spent over the last eight years dedicated to making this work the best it could be. Her commitment to my scholarly development—to my writing, to my work with youth, to my intellectual growth, to my logistical concerns about being a doctoral student, and beyond—and to this dissertation specifically has been unwavering, even in times of tension and struggle, and I will forever be grateful for all that she has done to help me craft this Harlem Prep story into one that I can now proudly share with the world. Since the first day I met her and throughout this journey together, for all that she has given me, I have always wanted to make her proud just as I was so proud to say that she was my advisor. I hope that this dissertation achieves that goal. Moreover, I know that it is the first of a long, fruitful career of dissertations she will usher and many student dreams she will help fulfill. Next, I want to thank Professor Ernest Morrell, who forever changed my life trajectory. I remember when I was an unsure and insecure freshman at UCLA, from the Midwest, trying to find my way, when I stumbled into his education class more than a decade ago. In that class, I learned about critical pedagogy, educational inequities, and above all, about myself—and it put me on the path that I continue on to this day.