Principal forbids first Black valedictorian from giving speech so the mayor steps in

Jaisaan Lovett, the first Black valedictorian at a Rochester, New York, prep school, was barred from delivering his graduation speech, allegedly because of several prior “run-ins” with the principal.

About Jaisaan Lovett first Black valedictorian and his success

Lovett graduated from University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men as the valedictorian last month. He also received a full scholarship to Clark Atlanta University.

School allegedly refuses him to speak at graduation

As being the first black valedictorian notably, Lovett had some things to say in his speech.

But a rocky relationship with UPrep Principal Joseph Munno saw him banned from giving a speech at the graduation ceremony, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.

When the school refused Lovett to speak, Rochester’s Mayor stepped in and broadcast his graduation speech on the city’s official YouTube channel.

Jaisaan Lovett’s speech

In his speech, Lovett thanked his family and friends, and other community members that helped him land a full scholarship to Clark Atlanta University. But for the school’s principal, Joseph Munno, though, Lovett had a different message:

“Mr. Munno, my principal, there’s a whole lot of things I’ve wanted to say to you for a long time. I’m here as the UPrep 2018 valedictorian to tell you that you couldn’t break me. I’m still here, and I’m still here strong.”

“And after all these years, all this anger I’ve had toward you and UPrep as a whole, I realized I had to let that go in order to better myself. And I forgive you for everything I held against you.”

Admonishing the prep school administration

Warren, who put the speech on the official mayor’s office YouTube channel, appears in the video to admonish the prep school administration for not letting Lovett give his historic speech.

“Unfortunately, Jaisaan’s school did not allow him to give his valedictorian speech,” Warren said in the video.

“For some reason, his school—in a country where freedom of speech is a constitution right, and the city of Frederick Douglass—turned his moment of triumph into a time of sorrow and pain.”

“Jaisaan will never graduate from high school again,” she added. “He will never get that moment back. This is not the time to punish a child because you may not like what he has to say.”

Lovett said he spoke up about things that were erroneous at the school and led a five-day student strike when the administration refused to order much-needed lab safety equipment.

Lovett said he and the principal of the all-male school, Munno, had several run-ins similar to the protest in his six years between 7th and 12th grades.

“There’s a lot of wrong things that go on at that school. When I notice it, I speak out against it,” Lovett told the Democrat & Chronicle. “[Munno] is a guy that doesn’t like to be told ‘no.'”

Statement from UPrep

Munno did not issue any public statement on the matter. The University Preparatory Charter School board of trustees told the Democrat & Chronicle they were aware of the situation.

“The Board will be reviewing the circumstances regarding what happened and looking into the related guidelines and school policies,” the charter school’s statement read.

“For confidentiality reasons, the school isn’t able to speak about the specifics of this situation. UPrep wishes Jaisaan [sic] Lovett, the first black valedictorian in the school’s four-year graduation history, much success as he continues his education at Clark Atlanta University.”