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The Ghosts of John Jay High (4:28)
Sarah Gonser + Lance Kruger | Brooklyn, NY
What does it take to escape the ghosts of the past? Fifty-three years after Brown vs. Board of Education, John Jay High students are primarily African American, or Hispanic, and bussed in from the projects. Police and metal detectors surround school entryways. This isn’t a particularly unusual scene except for its location. John Jay is in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn, home to multimillion-dollar brownstones, stroller brigades, and peacenik liberals. Neighborhood residents keep their distance and business-owners aren’t keen on seeing John Jay students at their doors. Meanwhile, the school’s administrators and teachers struggle to make a clean break—both inside and outside school walls—from an intensely violent past. They’ve even renamed and reorganized the school in hopes of a fresh start. This short film features seven bright, accomplished, college-bound John Jay seniors who—with clarity, ferocity, humor, and wisdom—cry foul at being unfairly lumped in with the school’s thuggish past.
(This project was formerly titled 'Thug School')
Sarah Gonser is co-director and co-producer, along with her filmmaking partner Lance Kruger, of "The Ghosts of John Jay High." Prior to this project, Gonser co-produced and co-directed Waking Aphrodite, a documentary film that premiered at the 2007 Silverdocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival. Together with Kruger, she is now in pre-production on a film about a child raised in the South Bronx by drug-addicted parents during the corrupt and crime-ridden 1970s. Born and raised in Switzerland, Sarah Gonser has lived in New York City since 1992.
Lance Kruger, co-director and co-producer of "The Ghosts of John Jay High," studied film at the University of Southern California, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and New School University. Prior to this project, Kruger co-produced and co-directed Waking Aphrodite, a documentary film that premiered at the 2007 Silverdocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival. Together with his filmmaking partner Sarah Gonser, he is now in pre-production on a film about a child raised in the South Bronx by drug-addicted parents during the corrupt and crime-ridden 1970s. Born and raised in Nevada, Kruger has lived in Brooklyn, New York, since 1995.
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I kinda see where you are
I kinda see where you are going with this although some of what you say does puzzle me.Hopefully all will work out in the end.
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Thanks for sharing
The article is really informative. Many thanks for sharing with us. I will be waiting for updates and new info from your side. Thanks a ton. I do not agree with some of the statements, but the informativenees of the article is top-nouch.
Admission Essay
Very needed Change
Its so important to make a change, for without the evolution of ideas nothing would ever improve. Its these perceptions of life that allow us to advance to a more hopeful future.
Mark
Narconon Vista Bay
Changes
It is hard for anyone to not only accept change but to actually believe it. What can happen, especially when violence is involved, is that people are just to scared to think that anything could ever be the same again. With it having been so long since these violent things have happened I suggest that they continue to thrive and prosper and do more to involve their community in their activities.
Narconon VistaBay
Kudos
Bravo to these phenomenal students, and to the filmmakers for addressing an oft-ignored issue in plain sight. The racial rift in Park Slope is just a small piece of a widespread problem; schools are segregated throughout the nation. At John Jay, among the multi=million-dollar brownstones, it's impossible not to see it. Kudos to Carolyn, Shanae, Jasmin, Flora, and Lisa! I hope your smart and articulate commentary spreads the word and sparks positive change!