Oprah Winfrey surprised Principal Akbar Cook and nearly 400 students at West Side High School in Newark on Friday and made a donation of $500,000 to the school’s “Lights On” program.
Principal Cook created the program to give students a safe place to hang out during the evenings in the summer. Principal Cook first made the school famous when he turned a football locker into a free laundromat for students last year.
He was featured on CNN and The Ellen Show in 2018 for providing quality of life essentials to his students, some of whom are in need of clean clothes and a safe place to stay during the evening after school closes.
“Don’t ever give up on love. And this is what everyone has been showing my kids, and me, and this community—that they love them and that’s going a long way,” said Principal Akbar Cook to CBS.
Oprah and Gayle King, along with CBS cameras showed up unexpectedly to support Principal Cook’s mission and show some love. The full interview will air on CBS This Morning on Monday.
See excerpt here:
