Dallas ISD's Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy builds on 15 years of success

Ontario Brown is a first-year upper school math teacher at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy in Dallas ISD. Still, he commands a room with the confidence of a veteran.

And in many ways, he is.

"You wouldn't be able to recognize him looking at me now," he shares with a laugh.

The "him" Brown references is his seventh-grade self, when the campus first opened in August 2011.

Brown says he was a smart kid, but was already drawn to trouble. Now he knows why.

"Unfortunately, I lost my father around the age of ten," shares Brown. "And so, my mom did her best as a single mom to ensure that I had everything I needed. There was always that hole that needed to be filled."

Brown says he filled that hole at the all-boys school. Now he's part of the team looking to do the same for so many others.

"Oh, there's definitely a need," says current principal Derek Thomas. "And especially with our young men of color, young black and brown boys need this opportunity to see that there is hope for them, that they do have an opportunity to excel just like anybody else."

Thomas calls it a "heavy burden." Then the "but" comes immediately.

"I love the responsibility because it's not about what these brothers are doing next year. We have to think ten, 15 years out from now, because that's what we're preparing them for."

Nakia Douglas knows that "burden" well. He's the founding principal of the campus that students and supporters call BOMLA.

"There weren't opportunities and or spaces that were specifically created and curated, with the best interest in the holistic development of young men," says Douglas. "We were able to create that for all young men. More specifically, young men from the southern sector of Dallas."

Although he is no longer the campus principal, Douglas still boasts about the school's 100% graduation and college acceptance rate. He also works with the nonprofit Friends of BOMLA to support the campus beyond the district's budget.

And, quite unexpectedly, he insists, he's now a BOMLA parent. His son, Zihair, is a first-year freshman.

"I think it'll make me a better person, a better man," says the 13-year-old, who said he decided he wanted to attend the school after walking around the campus while his father was in a meeting.

He also said he feels like the BOMLA experience will teach him respect and much more.

"It's so surreal," adds Brown when asked about the feeling of returning as a teacher. "Especially when you have teachers that taught you that are rooting for you, cheering for you, and wanting you to bring a culture of what BOMLA was built for, and build on what it is today."

And what it is, supporters insist, is a place built for much more than what's found in books.

"We know you can learn math. You can learn your science. You can learn your English anywhere," explains Brown. "Our goal is to go beyond that, to go beyond the academics. Our goal is to build students, build students no matter where they come from, no matter the background, no matter their history, no matter their situation. We are building students – particularly young men in the Dallas ISD and beyond community – to build them into leaders for the global society of tomorrow."

An anniversary gala is planned for Saturday, Aug. 29, to celebrate the school's success. Click "donate" at bomlafriends.org to learn more.

Among many other accolades over the past 15 years, the school was recently named to U.S. News & World Report's list of best high schools in America.

For Brown, returning to the school where he once sat as a student brings the story full circle.

"I thank the Lord that I walked through these doors. It truly created the Ontario, the leader, the son, the brother, the educator that you see today."