Meet Albert

Albert is an educator who credits Harlem and his mother for the person he is today. He moved several times but spent most of his time Uptown. Throughout his life living in different areas in Harlem, he has found mentors, fellowship, community, and has created cherished memories with people he met along the way. Albert’s mother taught him to seek out connection and go after what he wants, “My mom told me to find community, so I went and found it.” When he attended A. Philip Randolph Campus High School he joined his school’s step team, United Brothers, and remains connected with his teammates today. One of his favorite Harlem memories is of him and his teammates stepping on the train from Harlem to Brooklyn and back to make money for their uniforms for an upcoming show in their Sophomore year. “The nine of us made $800. We paid for everyone to have… their uniforms, plus, we all went out to eat [with the money left] for, like, four or five days in a row… And it was fantastic, and the show was great.” Additionally, he gained mentorship by joining SBI, Sound Business Incorporated and the community based fraternity, Order of the Feather. He put himself out there, sought information, and formed bonds that have left a lasting impression. 

Growing up in Harlem has sparked a deep love for the neighborhood, “It's influenced me in a way where I'm not afraid of a lot of things. And even the things I am afraid of [or] I feel… can be terrifying, it's like, do it if you want to see what's on the other side. Now you might jump on the other side and be like, 'I'm going back.' Which is okay, but at the very least, you know... what's over there… [And] I think the Order of the Feather Fraternity has shaped me to understand... certain pillars of manhood that I wanted to endeavor for myself. Like, what I wanted to... aspire to be. I became a teacher because the people who put me under their wing were teachers. I was able to go into my greek fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, because I pledged in Harlem at City College… It's like, if you want it, you go get it. Or at the very least you find out how to get it, or you find the person that knows. So I guess it gave me a different kind of hunger… I'm always hungry… I always want the next thing. And it's not because I'm not... content or happy, but it's because I'm telling myself I deserve it. And if I don't deserve it, you got to prove it to me that I don't. So I think Harlem's done that for me.”

“[Harlem] influenced me in a way where I’m not afraid of a lot of things. And even the things I am afraid of [or] I feel… can be terrifying, it’s like, do it if you want to see what’s on the other side. Now you might jump on the other side and be like, ‘I’m going back.’ Which is okay, but at the very least, you know... what’s over there.”

Currently, Albert is teaching in the Bronx. He first started teaching when he was about 19 years old. At one point he had three jobs, two in retail and one as a teacher’s aide in a Head Start program. It was a job he loved and prompted him to continue his journey as an educator, “I started teaching in early childhood, working with ages from, like, zero months to four years old, from the age of 19 to about 26, I worked in that space. So it was really all about kids and learning how to… work with children and change diapers and give them what they need… [At] first, I thought I was gonna be a doctor, and I was like, 'No, this feels better.'” He went on to earn a degree in early childhood education from Bronx Community College and later obtained a degree in Sociology with a focus on Education and Black Studies from City College. His mother greatly influenced his value of education and being a go-getter. She worked two jobs, about 20 years at the post office and 20 years as a librarian, and would often give him small research assignments about prominent Black leaders like Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey. This molded him to be a knowledge seeker, rise to challenges, and have a sense of pride of Black culture and history he wanted to pass on to his students. After working in childhood education he became a director and supervisor at James Weldon Johnson Community Center in East Harlem. In this position, he oversaw and implemented community activities and ran a mentorship for young men called Elite, Emerging Leaders In Today’s Environment, to prepare middle schoolers for high school and high schoolers for college, with mentors from prestigious universities guiding the youth. Albert made sure they gave back to the community as well, “We would... feed the homeless at Thanksgiving. So the kids that were doing the cooking class would cook all the food with the chef that we had. I mean, the kids were cooking… collard greens, yams, and all that... It took them two days to make the turkey. It was a thing. But then they would cut the food up. Even their parents were there. They would bag the food up and go out and give the food to the homeless people. And... they loved it… I'm like, see, 'This is what it means to give to your community.' And I got that from the people who showed me that this is important, that you need to do it.” 

Being “born, raised, and made in Harlem,” walking through the neighborhood sparks old memories like pledging to the Order of the Feather and walking with his fraternity brothers, attending summer camps at the YMCA on 135th Street, Harlem Week, and meeting his girlfriend at a local restaurant, Home Sweet Harlem. With fond memories and welcomed challenges, Harlem gave him “grit.” He says, “I'm a rose in Harlem. But you have to be gritty to come up from out of that dirt and let everyone see how beautiful you actually are. And that only happens when you have that determination… How much do you want to actually grow? Where do you see yourself going? And who can help you get there?” In Harlem “everyone knows everyone,” and can help connect you to others to help you achieve your goals, “You're a seed. And how much you grow really depends on you… The soil, the water, the sun, those are all people saying… 'You got this. I see this in you. Let me help you with this. I'm gonna call this person. I think you'll be great for this.' And that's Harlem taking care of Harlem. That's people taking care of people.”

“You’re a seed. And how much you grow really depends on you… The soil, the water, the sun, those are all people saying… ‘You got this. I see this in you. Let me help you with this. I’m gonna call this person. I think you’ll be great for this.’ And that’s Harlem taking care of Harlem. That’s people taking care of people.”

In the future, he does see himself leaving Harlem. He wants to share the lessons and knowledge he has gained with others, “I think the goal is to bring Harlem with me in my own way… I have... grown from the grit and grown from the soil, now it's time for me to start planting other things… Teach people how to grow themselves [and] be the sun for someone else, be the water for someone else.” Albert has a passion for teaching and being able to positively impact people. Every so often he will get a message from a parent of a former student updating him on where the child is now and how much he affected them on their journey, “I love to help, but I also want to give people the tools to help themselves, as well as give people the tools to help others. So I think the best way to do that is to expand my horizons a little more.” Harlem shaped him to serve his community and be a helping hand to others, and he aims to take that with him, wherever his journey may lead.