Senator Praises Newark Principal Who Stopped Bullies With Laundry

NEWARK, NJ — When bullies started picking on low-income students at his high school because of their unwashed clothes, Newark principal Akbar Cook listened. Now – after transforming the football team’s old locker room into a free laundromat – it’s Cook who has the ears of admirers across the nation, including U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.

Booker, who previously served as mayor of Newark and recently announced he’s running for president, offered glowing words of thanks for Cook on Tuesday via Twitter with the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth.

“Today, we honor @PrincipalAkbar, principal of Newark West Side High School. Mr. Cook installed laundry machines in West Side’s basement to reduce bullying of students who couldn't afford to wash their clothes. His tireless work is an inspiration to us all.”

Cook’s tweeted reply to Booker was typically humble: “Thank you sir. I truly appreciate it.” (Story continues below)

Unfamiliar with West Side’s free school laundromat? Westsidelightson.org offers the following background about Cook’s inspiring brainchild:

“When West Side High School students were being bullied because of dirty clothes, Mr. Cook listened. When school starts September 4, there will be a new facility in the building: a free laundromat. Principal of West Side High School and program director of Lights On, Akbar Cook has converted the football team’s old locker room into a laundromat, complete with five commercial washers and five commercial dryers. West Side purchased the new washing and drying machines through a $20,000 grant from the PSE&G Foundation. Support from the community has poured in from all around the country with donations of detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets. Mr. Cook is hopeful that this program can serve as a blueprint for other schools with students facing a similar dilemma – changing the school’s culture, eliminating barriers to education, and washing away the vicious cycle of bullying. The laundromat will be free and open to students after school hours with an adult staff member assigned to work with students in the adjacent room on STEM projects and explore academic interests while they wait for their laundry.”

Cook and West Side’s free laundromat have since attracted attention across the nation, including Ellen DeGeneres, who presented the principal with a $50,000 donation from Cheerios last year to help keep the suds flowing.

• See related article: Newark's Inspiring School Laundromat On 'Ellen Show'

A former vice principal of the school, Cook – a father of two – is well-known for his stern-yet-caring presence in the lives of many of Newark's youth.

According to the Newark Public School District, Cook was born and raised in Newark’s West Ward. He attended Essex Catholic High School, where he excelled as a student and basketball player, then went to college on two basketball scholarships, attending St. Catherine’s College in Kentucky before graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in education from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. He went on to earn a master’s degree in administration from St. Peters University in Jersey City in 2006.

He's been an outspoken advocate for peace and anti-violence efforts in his hometown of Newark, where he was a driving force behind the "Lights On" program, which launched in 2016 after the tragic loss of a young Newark student to gun violence.

• See related article: Newark 'Lights On' Program Provides Shelter From Violence For Students

In addition, Cook volunteers in food kitchens and participates in Christmas tree and toy drives. He serves as co-director of Greater Newark’s LifeCamp, a summer camp for inner city youth.

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Photo: YouTube / TheEllenShow