I saw a movie, Heart of Stone, this past weekend and had to share with you the wonderful ideas about community that it offers. Directed by award-winning director, Beth Toni Kruvant, this heartfelt documentary follows Principal Ron Stone of Weequahic High School in Newark, NJ. Principal Stone is a gutsy man who dons a bullet-proof jacket each day when he patrols the outside grounds as to tries to stave off gang violence and boost student morale. Stone works tirelessly to give students a future.

Before the 1960s, Weequahic was populated by first-generation children of working class, Jewish and African-Americans families. It was considered one of the top public high schools in the nation, producing illustrious graduates like Philip Roth, and more PhDs than any other American high school.

Following the 1967 Newark riots however, the population of the community changed, academic performance plummeted and gangs ruled the campus and streets. Weequahic High School was neglected and given up as a failure, providing neither hope nor a pathway for its students.
Feeling a bond toward the school and the community that raised them, a group of Jewish and African-Americans alumnus stepped in to form an alumni association - not to share stories about past success, but to help the Principal and help return the school to its former glory. They want to help steer the school and its students in a safer direction, towards success for themselves and Newark.

In the movie (now in screenings around the US) Principal Stone is shown expending near-limitless effort towards these goals. Both he and alums express understanding and appreciate towards each student, for whatever gifts that student brings. Under his direction, the alumni association focuses attention on both the school's needs and on student successes as they occur. Conflict resolution and individual empowerment, rather than violence, become the norm. Student are being shown that the teachers and the school serve as a part of the community and the personal safety net they need. The true story offers us a renewed look at causes others consider "lost."