A Brief Review – Lean on Me (1989)

I watched this movie again today after watching a YouTube video about how totally in a state of failure many schools are, leaving so many children ignorant of the world around them or how to navigate it.    There are a number of reasons this is the case some political and some not.

If you watch this movie from ’89 about a principle of a high school in the 80’s (Joe Clark) who saved a school and the children in it.  He did not do this by blindly affirming them or making excuses as to why they could not succeed.  In fact, he laid their lack of success in their lap and said, do better, here is how.  And yes, he too was attacked and called names and had accusations made.  It seems to me, he did to come to notoriety because he was initially controversial.  But because we was successful, meaning his kids were.

The movie is wonderful.  Morgan Freeman is awesome and I think this has stood as one of his best roles.

There is a quote in the movie (I have no clue if Joe Clark actually said it) but it’s great.

“If you do not succeed in life, I do not want you to blame your parents.  I do not want you to blame the white man.  I want you to blame yourselves, the responsibility is yours”

If you are questioning the actual success of Joe Clark I leave you with this.  In 1988 the White House offered Mr. Clark a job. He refused it and stayed with his school.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Louis_Clark