The Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery had just concluded in 1965. In front of thousands of admirers, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. gave his well-known speech on the steps of the State Capitol Building, emphasizing the need for voting rights for all people. Nobody could have predicted that more than 50 years later, across from the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and a few blocks away on the same street where the march ended, a school for boys of color would be established.
With just thirty young men, my brother Fred and I established Valiant Cross Academy in Montgomery, Alabama, in 2015. Our goal was to prepare young men of color to become great husbands, exceptional fathers, and eventually leaders in their communities. My brother Fred and I felt that love, discipline, and a commitment to high standards were essential to addressing the apparent problems that young men across the country are facing and that every student could succeed regardless of their circumstances.
With 210 incredible young men enrolled in grades 6 through 12, our faith-based private school has experienced rapid growth and now provides a wide range of educational programs that allow them to realize their full potential. Valiant Cross Academy is committed to providing its students with the best education and opportunities for success. It offers a flight academy with a simulator, a CISCO networking lab, a thriving art and music department, visual arts, theater, a barbershop, an African American Male Museum in the basement, an entire athletic program, coding camps, dual enrollment with two universities and one technical college, and financial literacy programs.
Valiant Cross Academy is located on the historic Dexter Avenue, where African Americans at one time couldn’t shop, and now boys of color are being educated. Dexter Avenue is steeped in history and is where Rosa Parks boarded a bus and stepped into history, igniting the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It’s also home to the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor from 1954 to 1960 and played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement.
The young men at Valiant Cross Academy are constantly reminded of the value of their education and the significance of the school’s location. They are aware that they are carrying on the legacy of those who gave their lives defending their rights and that it is up to them to carry on the battle for justice and equality. They are empowered to trust in themselves and urged never to give up, no matter how difficult the road ahead may seem.
The school’s commitment to scholarship, leadership, and service has earned it numerous accolades, including recently being awarded the prestigious Million Dollar Yass Prize. The prize is widely known as the “Pulitzer of Education.” With only two graduating classes, students are now attending colleges and universities, including Morehouse College, the University of Alabama, and Tuskegee University, attending a trade school, working full-time in the military, and have successfully joined the workforce.
Valiant Cross Academy serves as more than simply a school; it is a ray of hope. Young men of color can come here to learn, develop, and become leaders; their potential is never limited. Here, the struggle for justice and equality continues, and the history of those who came before them is acknowledged and appreciated. It’s also a location where Montgomery’s promising future and rich past combine to create a potent force for change. At Valiant Cross Academy, our young men will RISE ABOVE!