Grade 7 Welcomes Freedom Fighter Kenneth Salaam

Grade 7 welcomed the grandfather of Fatinah Muhammad ’28, Mr. Kenneth Salaam, who was one of the Philadelphia Freedom Fighters. Mr. Salaam marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and served as a pallbearer at Dr. King’s funeral. During his visit, Mr. Salaam showed the students his Emmy-winning documentary called “Cecil’s People: The Freedom Fighters,” which features his efforts, along with others, that led to the desegregation of Girard College - a Philadelphia school located in the middle of an African-American community, with a 100-year-old admission policy that admitted white male orphans only. His commitments to improve the quality of life for all people lead him to become known in the Civil Rights community as “Freedom Smitty.”