In front of an audience of GSFS families at the March Parents Association meeting, Jesse reflected on his own experiences as a Black student at Greene Street Friends. When he entered GSFS in third grade he struggled with being the only child in an African American neighborhood who attended an independent school. Jesse shared that neighborhood kids thought he talked “too proper” while some of his white teachers didn’t always understand what he was saying.

His grades were average (as he explained, “homework and I did not seem to get along”), but he credits his GSFS experience with preparing him academically to become a strong student in high school, at Hampton University, and at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan, where he received his law degree.

“I like to think that I would value my experience at GSFS whether I was black, white, green or purple,” he remarked. “But as an African American student, GSFS not only gave me an educational foundation that has me where I am today, but has been invaluable in shaping how I relate and react to all people, particularly those who don’t look like me.”

He continued, “in those experiences when I was sent to Principal Norma Vogel’s office, and was greeted by her assistant Fay Basmajian, I began to experience how GSFS treats everyone as people…I can truly say that GSFS taught me that people are people, and all deserve to be treated equally. That message stuck with me, not just because GSFS told me so, but because their actions said so.”

Jesse ended his remarks with a challenge to the school: to do more to recruit and retain faculty of color, especially Black male teachers. When he was at GSFS, one of the teachers that had the greatest impact on him was Mr. Ted, who taught PE and was the only Black male faculty member at the time. Head of School Edward W. Marshall agreed with Jesse, saying that he too is dissatisfied with the diversity among teachers and administrators. As a result, he recently enlisted the help of Parents Association Co-Presidents Shayna Bayard and Janise Lee for a more concerted effort to recruit candidates of color.

Jesse, an attorney at Swartz Campbell, LLC in Philadelphia, resides in Mt. Airy. He is the Vice President of the Greene Street Friends School Alumni Association.