DETROIT – “Were you nervous when you started on TV?” “Do you ever get the forecast wrong?” These were a couple of the questions that curious students asked me on a cool Friday morning in northwest Detroit.
Their sincere questions deserved candid answers. “Yes,” I replied. The students’ most unexpected request was to autograph AirPods cases. Even more unusual, I obliged.
It was Career Day at Communication and Media Arts (CMA) High School, which is a small public school that continues to have an impact and surmount obstacles.
It is one of six high schools of the Detroit Public Schools Community District that require an exam for admission, including Cass Tech, Renaissance, Martin Luther King Jr., Southeastern, and The School at Marygrove.
CMA, which has a population of 300 students, is known for its enhanced college and career prep programs and digital media and journalism pathways. It has been recognized as one of the safest and top-performing schools in the city.
“CMA is special, because it is a family environment,” Principal Tiffany Cox said. “We have a high expectation that began with the founding principal Kim (Woo) Gray as far as creating a community, a culture in caring.”
Knowing at an early age what I wanted to do professionally, it was befitting that I attended the school. I discovered a family environment. We all knew each other. We cared about each other and the future of the school.
It has been three decades since CMA was established. During that time, the school has gone from the district’s multiple plans to shutter it, to plans to invest millions. The district moved the school into a building in the Berg-Lahser neighborhood in 2020 and pledged $2.7 million in upgrades.
The previous location was on Mansfield Street, north of Grand River Avenue, and adjacent to the St. Mary of Redford Catholic Church campus. Despite being the subject of an episode of the NBC reality series School Pride and undergoing a renovation, the property continued to face problems.
Some of CMA’s students also face problems like poverty and crime; but for at least part of their day, they can go to an environment of hope and promise.
As I talked with the students on Career Day, I was reminded of my high school experience. Communication and Media Arts High School taught me many lessons, but one of the greatest was intrapersonal communication -- what I tell myself. No matter what your surroundings look like, remind yourself that greatness is within.