NEWARK – The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice today released From Shackles to Scholarship: A Vision for a 21st Century Bordentown School, a report that urges New Jersey to close its three youth prions, reinvest in community-based programs and establish a 21st Century version of the illustrious Bordentown School.
The Bordentown School, formally the Manual and Industrial Training School, was founded by formerly enslaved Civil War veteran Rev. Walter Rice in 1866 as the “Tuskegee of the North.” It developed a sterling reputation for preparing Black students for a lifetime of leadership through vocational training and academic studies.
“Everything we did, we excelled in,” said Nate Hampton, former Bordentown student, class of 1948, in a 2014 interview. “They tried to get the best performance, no matter what it was – academic, sports, music, vocations. It changed my whole life.”