Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast PDF Finding Aid to The HistoryMakers Video Oral History with George He doesnt know how to manage the district, and the board did a service to the community by voting not to renew his contact, said Jenkins, who did not support McKennas selection. Teens leer and comment at a teen girl walking by. View the profiles of people named George Mckenna. If the adults around dont have sufficient commitment to let no child escape, then the situation in the schools will just get worse, McKenna warned. That somebody in the movie, and in real life, isMcKenna supporterAllan Kakassy, who retired in 2005 after 37 years in LA Unifiedand 17 years at Washington Prep. I had to bully the kids, he said. You come over here and help me paint the fence. Posters for the movie based on George McKennas school success in South LA. See our. Hedidnt have a copy of the movie until recently when he received it as a birthday present. When Ruby is selected to attend an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960, she's totally unprepared for the uproar, but with the help of her teacher and a child psychologist, she's able to better cope with the ugliness of racism. With the help of the TV studio, McKennas school reformswere shared with districts throughout the nation and adopted in professional development trainings. My challenge, my struggle, has been to get the system to change, McKenna explained. Did you know you can flag iffy content? on Esplanade Ave to document the contributions of free people of color. He's supported by an able cast of actors of all ages. The George McKenna Story: Directed by Eric Laneuville. It may not be the ideal school,'' the protagonist`s fiancee remarks at the top of ''The George McKenna Story,'' and she has a point. Elsewhere co-star Denzel Washington and Lynn Whitfield. This sports flick is based on the events of the 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship, telling the story of a white college basketball coach who introduced the first all-Black starting lineup in NCAA history. Celtic Football Club. United States, 1986. McKenna is much lighter. In 1962, he accepted a teaching position for the Los Angeles Unified School District while attending Loyola Law School, the University of California, Los Angeles, and California State University, Los Angeles. Hes still trying to change it., Kakassy added, It is a significant part of the aftermath of the movie that George McKenna is now on the school board, and maybe he can change things from there.. Quite a few teachers did leave, they just gave up, said Kakassy, who has also collected some of the educators favorite quotes. Under McKenna, Washington Preps student absence rate fell from about 30% to 10%, the number of graduates going to college rose dramatically, and the percentage of African-Americans taking chemistry, physics and advanced math exceeded the statewide average. [2] Because of his efforts, a biographical television film was made documenting his story called The George McKenna Story, with Denzel Washington portraying him. We won't share this comment without your permission. They cant do it alone. McKenna, notorious for not talking to the media, agreed to discuss the anniversary and the issues the movie raised. My ego is not that big, I never tried to seek that out, I was just doing my job., Sign up for newsletters from LA School Report, The movie opens in 1979 withMcKenna arriving atWashington High School in South Los Angeles on his first day as principal.