Sean Combs will add yet another job title to his resume as he looks to open a charter school in Harlem with innovative educator Dr. Steve Perry.
The rapper, known as Diddy, is giving back to the community by launching Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School, opening this fall. Perry will oversee the new school. He founded Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut, in 2005.
Danita Jones, an educator based in Orlando, Florida, will serve as principal at the Harlem charter school. Combs, who was born in Harlem, said creating the school is “a dream come true,” according to the Associated Press.
Choice in African-American schools is paramount to Perry.
“The truth is that our families want choice,” said Perry to News One. “And as a result they’re the ones that are overwhelmingly on the waiting lists hoping to get into better schools.”
According to the Capital Prep website, the goal is to “provide historically disadvantaged students with the college and career readiness skills needed to become responsible and engaged citizens for social justice.”
Perry, who is principal at Capital Prep Magnet, has led 100 percent of the graduates to being accepted into college. Perry also founded Capital Prep Harbor School in 2015, which operates in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and is expanding the program to include schools in the Bronx, New York for boys and girls in grades 6 to 12. Capital Prep Harlem will also serve grades 6 to 12, according to MTV.
The launch of Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School isn’t the first time Combs has been philantropic. The Gazette Review reports the fashion designer donated clothes from one of his clothing companies to victims of Hurricane Katrina and gave $1 million to hurricane relief. His connections to New York education has been demonstrated through donating books, computers and and learning supplies to New York City schools. The record producer also founded Daddy’s House, a social program that helps inner-city youth with tutoring and life skills.
