Anybody who knows me knows that I’m not a movie person. I’m actually not huge on pop culture or mainstream entertainment news either.
Who’s a Da Baby? Who divorced? Didn’t even know they were married… 🤷🏾♀️
I can’t count the number of times that I’ve fallen asleep trying to watch a box office hit. So, when I say that a movie changed my life, that’s major. The film was released 30 years ago, but I would watch it over any current hit without hesitation.
Ready for it?
“Lean on Me.” 
If you have my number, delete it if you’ve never heard of this treasure to society.
“Lean on Me” had so many lessons rolled into two hours and four minutes of awesomeness. 
The movie is loosely based on the story of Joe Louis Clark, a real life inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school is at risk of being taken over by the New Jersey state government unless students improve their test scores on the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills Test.
Not gonna lie… the above paragraph was straight copied and pasted from Wikipedia, but whoever contributed that information was dead on. 
Morgan Freeman played Joe “Crazy” Clark. The casting was a role made in cinema heaven. His boldness, persistence and ferociousness forced anybody watching to root for Joe no matter how outlandish his tactics may have been.
Here are the three reasons (and the lessons learned) that detail why my adoration for this film will never waiver. (Do I have to say spoiler alert? The movie is three decades old. It has already spoiled.
)
Tough Love Works
Enabling what? Coddling where?
🗣“Mr. Clark don’t play!”
I refuse to call him Crazy Joe because it’s derogatory and a way to dull his brilliance. And as Kaneesha so famously said, Joe Clark absolutely did not take any mess. 🙅🏾♀️
He was recruited by the superintendent (a.k.a Benson) to rejuvenate a school that deteriorated over the years due to drugs and crime. And one of his first orders of business was to expel all the known thugs, druggies and bad influencers who wanted nothing more for their life.
One of the said druggies who got thrown out of school was Sams. He came crawling back to beg for a spot in the school, and Mr. Clark took him to the school’s roof. 🏫
Clark: Now, why should I let you back into my school?
Sams: Because I’m going to do better, sir.
Clark: Why should I believe you now?
Sams: Because I changed my ways.
Clark: I don’t believe you, Sams. I don’t think you’ve changed a thing. Go on, jump!
Sams: No. I don’t want to jump.
Clark: Yes, you do! You smoke crack, don’t you? You smoke crack, don’t you? Look at me, boy! Don’t you smoke crack?
Sams: Yes, sir.
Clark: You know what that does to you, huh? It kills brain cells, son. It kills brain cells. When you’re destroying brain cells, you’re killing yourself, only it’s slower! If you want to kill yourself, do it expeditiously! Go on, jump!
Sams: No. I don’t want to kill myself, sir.
Clark: You’re sure?
Sams: Yes, sir.
Clark: I tell you what I’ll do. I’ll go back on my own word just this once and let you back into my school ’cause you’re still a baby, and you don’t know nothing.
Mr. Clark sure don’t play! (He also had SAT words for days). But when he saw that someone was trying to do better for themselves, he gave them a little bit of leash to see what they’d do with it. 
He loved the students, and even the staff, but the main thing had to remain the main thing. It was all about student success. Everything else had to be weeded out.
Think Outside the Box
Mr. Clark’s ways were unorthodox. They were thought of as insane, but he got the job done. 
As mentioned above, he expelled dozens of kids right at the beginning of his reign to improve the environment of his school.
He also chained the school’s doors to keep unwanted criminals out of his school. Please note: This was absolutely a fire code violation. I didn’t say his ideas were always right or safe. I just said he thought differently to achieve his mission. 
And when family engagement needed a boost, he put boots on the ground and made visits to homes.
Sometimes when you want to make a drastic change, you need to take drastic measures. 
Mr. Clark did that. He even went to jail for it. (Free Mr. Clark!) But guess what? His students ended up passing the New Jersey Minimum Basic Skills Test.
People are Loyal to Those Who Show Up
Mr. Clark’s methods worked because he cared. He showed tough love. He thought out of the box. And people bought into his ways because through it all, it showed the depth of his heart. 
That man really put his freedom at risk for a failing school.
And when he ended up going to jail, the entire school showed up and showed out to back their head guy. 👊🏾
Leonna Barrett (mother of an expelled student who made it her life’s mission to punish Mr. Clark): The simple fact is Mr. Clark has broken the laws of this state and exposed you all to grave danger. His behavior is irresponsible. Chaining those doors was a criminal act. Why do you think they call him “Crazy Joe”?
Students: Because you don’t understand him. He chained those doors to keep out the drug dealers. You’re twisting the law. The laws are made to protect the people. That’s what he’s doing for us.
The students and staff members who couldn’t stand the heat got out the kitchen. The rest who went along for the challenging ride reaped the benefits of what it means to have someone who loves you through actions. 
I bet every student who attended Eastside High under Mr. Clark’s watch will remember him for life.
He showed up for them when times got tough. So, they returned the favor without thinking twice about the consequences. 
Man! I’m about to watch “Lean on Me” this weekend. Just kidding. These kids won’t allow me two hours of peace to do that. I would if I could, though!
It changed the way I viewed educators. I easily sifted out those who were there for the check and those who truly cared. And as an adult, it made me extra conscious of how I engage with children because you never know how words and actions can impact a life. 
“Lean on Me” left a lasting impression. Denzel Washington is my favorite actor, so it was very hard to not pick one of his films. If there were a top five list, his movies would probably be number two through five. LOL!
So what movie changed your life or the way you view life? That’s the topic of this week’s podcast. Let me know your reasons, so that I can include all of your answers in the recording. See you Friday! ✌🏾
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