Teacher Appreciation: Black Educators Who Saved Us - Page 7
7. Joe Louis Clark (1938–2020)
Made famous by the film Lean on Me, Joe Louis Clark was the dynamic and controversial principal of Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey. Known for carrying a bullhorn and baseball bat through the halls, Clark demanded excellence, discipline, and personal accountability from his students and teachers.
According to CNN, the legendary principal once “expelled 300 students for ‘fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers, and drug possession’ in one day.”
Under his leadership, the school went from chaos to order, with improved test scores and student morale.
