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Joe Clark, The No-Nonsense High School Principal Immortalized In ‘Lean On Me,’ Dies At 82

NJ: Joe Clark Portrait

Source: Joe McNally / Getty

Joe Clark, the no-nonsense principal of a high school in New Jersey who gained notoriety for his bare-knuckles approach to education and was immortalized on the big screen in the Hollywood production, “Lean on Me,” has died at the age of 82. He died Tuesday following a long battle with an undisclosed illness, Clark’s family said in a press release.

Known for using extreme methods of communication in his prized Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, Clark would routinely roam the hallways brandishing a bullhorn or baseball bat in an effort to both discipline and sow the seeds of learning into his student body — one that went from being ridden with truancy, drugs and crime to a group of straitlaced overachievers in the classroom.

Highly scrutinized at first, Clark’s tactics ultimately gained attention across the country equally for its unique style as well as its effectiveness with a predominately Black student population in a neglected city near his hometown of Newark.

Eastside High School principal Joe Clark holding bullhorn an

Source: New York Daily News Archive / Getty

While Clark was described as unorthodox, his brand of education administration drew on experience from his first job out of college: A U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant and Drill Instructor. That paved the way for his more than three decades in education, Clark’s family said.

“First serving as a Paterson grade school teacher and the Director of Camps and Playgrounds in Essex County, NJ, Clark soon found his calling in administration as Principal of PS 6 Grammar School,” Clark’s family said in the press release. “Under Clark’s command, the once failing school was transformed into the ‘Miracle of Carroll Street.’”

NJ: Joe Clark Portrait

Source: Joe McNally / Getty

When Clark was appointed to be the principal of Eastside High, he took extreme measures immediately. “In one day, he expelled 300 students for fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers, and drug possession and lifted the expectations of those that remained, continually challenging them to perform better,” the press release said before explaining the significance of Clark’s metaphorical use of a baseball bat: “a student could either strike out or hit a home run.”

The success at Eastside got the attention of Hollywood producers, who cast the venerable Morgan Freeman to portray Clark in the 1989 film, “Lean on Me,” which introduced movie-goers to the New Jersey school and its fearless principal.

Born in Rochelle, Georgia, on May 8, 1938, Clark moved to Newark when he was six years old and lived in New Jersey until he retired in 1989.

Clark is survived by his three children, Olympian and businesswoman Joetta Clark Diggs; Olympic Athlete and Director of Sports Business Development for the Bermuda Tourism Authority Hazel Clark; and athlete and Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Stanford University Joe (J.J.) Clark, Jr.; as well as three grandchildren, Talitha, Jorell, and Hazel.

May he rest in the same power he enjoyed in life.

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‘Tiny’ Lister, Who Played Deebo In ‘Friday,’ Dies At 62

2020 deaths

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks We Lost In 2020

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Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks We Lost In 2020

Continue reading Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks We Lost In 2020

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks We Lost In 2020

UPDATED: 4:50 p.m. ET, Dec. 31 -- While death is inevitably a part of life, that truth doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to those who have died. They include a wide range of iconic and pioneering individuals who left indelible marks on the world through their respective careers, such as basketball star Kobe Bryant, Congressman John Lewis, mathematician Katherine Johnson actor Chadwick Boseman, rapper Pop Smoke, civil rights legend Rev. C.T. Vivian and entertainment mogul Andre Harrell. But there were also a number of notable Black folks who died this year and may not have enjoyed the same household-name status as the aforementioned but are still very deserving of being remembered for their contributions to the world, whether good or bad. Case and point: 2020 began tragically with the drug overdose death of Nick Gordon, who was most famous for his relationship with Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown. He was only 30. And now the year has ended with the death of Adolfo Quiñones, the hip-hop dancing pioneer better known as Shabba Doo, who died at the age of 65. His fellow choreographer Toni Basil tweeted the unfortunate news on Dec. 30. https://twitter.com/Toni_Basil/status/1344312445708300290?s=20 But it was only announced on Dec. 31 that legendary veteran rapper MF DOOM died earlier in the year. His wife eulogized him Thursday with a touching tribute on his still-active Instagram account. The masked rapper formerly known as Zev Love X from the 1990s rap group KMD was 49 years old when he died. His cause of death was not reported. Scroll down to learn more about MF DOOM's death. [caption id="attachment_4070491" align="alignnone" width="594"] Source: C Brandon / Getty[/caption] The announcement about MF DOOM followed the news that Joe Clark, the no-nonsense principal of a high school in New Jersey who gained notoriety for his bare-knuckles approach to education and was immortalized on the big screen in the Hollywood production, “Lean on Me,” died Dec. 29 at the age of 82 following a long battle with an undisclosed illness. Charley Pride, who broke racial barriers on his way to becoming a pioneering Black country music singer, died Dec. 12 at the age of 86. The cause of his death was reported as complications from Covid-19. https://twitter.com/JayBobbin1/status/1337862884622290946?s=20   Actor Tommy "Tiny" Lister died Dec. 10 at the age of 62. Lister was most famously known for his notable role as "Deebo" in "Friday," where he re-imagined the trope of the neighborhood bully in modern comedies. Bruce Boynton, an important but often forgotten figure of the civil rights movement died from cancer on Nov. 23 at the age of 83. While enrolled at Howard University during his final year of law school Boynton was arrested in Richmond, Virginia after he refused to exit a "whites-only" section of a bus station restaurant. Boynton, along with his then-attorney, Thurgood Marshall, would go on to spark a series of events that eventually overturned the Jim Crow laws across the country and inspired the Freedom Riders movement. “There is a sadness. His was a tremendous life well lived. We’re happy he’s no longer in pain but I’m also amazed at his fight and his strength and that he continued to fight and write even after the initial diagnosis of cancer,” his daughter Carver Boynton told AL.com. https://twitter.com/TheKingCenter/status/1331111245928402946?s=20 David Dinkins made history in 1989 when he was elected the first Black mayor of New York City, beating out running mate Rudy Giuliani. The beloved and respected politician died Nov. 23, at the age of 93, just one month after the death of his wife Joyce. Dinkins' pivotal election marked the first and last time a Black person held the highest local office in the Big Apple. Bishop Harry Jackson, an evangelical pastor who advised Donald Trump as a candidate and president, died Nov. 9. His cause of death was not immediately reported and it was unclear what his age was. The Washington Post described the senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, in part as "a rare Trump supporter in the majority black, Democratic stronghold of Prince George’s County." https://www.facebook.com/harryrjacksonjr/posts/3575884435803513 Jackson joined Trump in April to deliver an Easter blessing that was heavily focused on the coronavirus pandemic. He thanked Trump for his “insightful leadership” before going on to pray for “a mitigation of this plague, this disease. Let medical science come forth.” He closed his prayer by asking God to “give this great man, our President, and give the Vice President wisdom beyond their natural limitations. Give them insights so they can cover us, lead us, and bless us.” Prior to that, the sports world suffered back-to-back blows when baseball icon Lou Brock died on Sept. 6 just about a week after college basketball coaching legend John Thompson's death. Brock was 81 years old. ESPN reminded readers that "Brock retired in 1979 as the single-season and all-time leader in stolen bases" and "was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1985." Thompson died Aug. 31 at the age of 78. He first started coaching high school before Georgetown University hired him in 1972, ultimately going on to become the first Black head coach to win an NCAA championship when Georgetown beat the University of Houston in 1985. Read more about his life here. Days earlier, actor Chadwick Boseman died after a years-long battle with colon cancer. He died on Aug. 28 at the age of 43. Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has died following a brief battle with the coronavirus. He died on July 30 at the age of 74. Cain, who was also the former chair of the Kansas City Federal Reserve as well as the one-time chief executive of the Godfather's Pizza chain, was a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump. He may have contracted the coronavirus after attending a heavily attended rally for Trump without wearing a mask. [caption id="attachment_3986777" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Source: NICHOLAS KAMM / Getty[/caption]   Cain's death occurred on the same day that Georgia Rep. John Lewis, the iconic civil rights pioneer who went on to become one of the most powerful men in Congress, was being buried in Atlanta. Lewis died on July 17 at the age of 80 following a battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer that he announced late last year. You can read more about his legendary life by clicking here. https://twitter.com/tvonetv/status/1284331852996775938?s=20   Jas Waters, a television writer also known as "JasFly" who penned scripts for hit shows like "This Is Us," has died, according to reports. She was just 39 years old. Waters' death was confirmed by the verified Twitter account for "This Is Us," which tweeted on June 10 that "The entire #ThisIsUs family was devastated to learn of Jas Waters passing. In our time together, Jas left her mark on us and ALL over the show. She was a brilliant storyteller and a force of nature. We send our deepest sympathies to her loved ones. She was one of us. RIP." Waters' cause of death was not announced. https://twitter.com/ThisIsUsWriters/status/1270819673416716293?s=20   Betty Wright, the award-winning R&B soul singer whose signature song went on to become a sampling standard in hip-hop music, died May 9. She was 66 years old. Wright, whose cause of death was not immediately reported, had a career that spanned decades and evolved from its gospel roots to rhythm and blues to pop, the latter of which won her a pair of Grammy Awards. https://twitter.com/SonAndPop/status/1259509570390634498?s=20 As Bossip noted, Wright's hit song from 1971, "Clean Up Woman," has been sampled in music by contemporary artists ranging from Mary J Blige to Beyonce and still stands the test of time as a classic song in its own right. Wright's death came after several other celebrated members of the Black music community also recently died. Legendary rock n' roll pioneer Little Richard died May 9 at the age of 87. The reports of his death followed that of iconic hip-hop executive Andre Harrell, who discovered Sean "Diddy" Combs. Harrell was 59 and died May 8. Another of the most recent deaths reported was for legendary soul singer Bill Withers. He was 81 years old. Katherine Johnson, the pioneering "Hidden Figures" NASA mathematician, died Feb. 24 at 101 years old. “She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in a tweet when announcing her death. https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/1231946829962584065 B. Smith, the restaurateur, lifestyle maven and esteemed businesswoman, died in February, according to her husband, Dan Gasby, who announced the news of his wife’s passing in a Facebook post. “It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of my wife, Barbara Elaine Smith,” he wrote. “B. died peacefully Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 10:50 pm, of Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in our home in Long Island, New York. She was 70.” https://www.facebook.com/100000189921296/posts/3575437569139205/   Actress Ja’Net DuBois, who played the role of Willona Woods on “Good Times,” died Feb. 18 at the age of 74. DuBois reportedly unexpectedly died in her sleep while at her Glendale, California home. https://twitter.com/newsone/status/1230280909368127488?s=20   Scroll down and join us as we commemorate some more notable Black folks who died in 2020 and pay homage to their contributions in life that will live on well after their deaths. SEE MORE:  Notable Deaths 2019 Notable Deaths 2018 Notable Deaths 2017

Joe Clark, The No-Nonsense High School Principal Immortalized In ‘Lean On Me,’ Dies At 82  was originally published on newsone.com

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