Hail to the Chief
“I tell him he is a role model and an indication of what it means to be black and excellent. He has changed the trajectory of my life and I see a lot of myself within him.”
Tik…Tik…Tik. The seconds pass by as we patiently wait for class to end. The beat drops. The music plays. The hallways fill with laughter, chatter, and joy. We walk the hallways as he graces the school with blackness.
Former child model, background actor in the Avengers, ex-dancer, Board Chairman of Color Compton and the Compton Art & History Museum, owner and Chief Consultant of a consultancy firm, “Kale Solutions.” Originally from the South Bronx. He’s Dominican and Jamaican. Raised in St. Mary's Project in a two-parent household. Home to him is Jackson Avenue, where he spends all of his holidays. Let us introduce: Chief Kale.
As students we always wonder who made Comp Sci High into the school we see and know today. Who is responsible for how Comp Sci High functions? The answer is perhaps not who you may think. You might think Ms. Alder; you might think Mr. Noah. But the truth is that there is someone behind the scenes. That someone is Chief Kale.
So, in order to really figure out what Chief Kale does, we spent time with him during his wildly busy day where he spends 12 hours working. We sat with Chief Kale and saw behind the scenes; we witnessed the ins-and-outs. And, we are here to tell you the story of the man who makes it all happen.
Here at Comp Sci High, Chief Kale is the Chief Strategy Officer. Now, what does this mean? He has complete oversight over the organization, managing the PSL Team, Operations Team and Social Work Team, and focusing on the school experience, which includes the talent and performance of all faculty and new hires. Kale’s role is dedicated to the school experience; with an eye for everything, he ensures the school space is running safely and efficiently.
Although you may not notice it, Chief Kale has an impact on our daily lives as students. Chief Kale created "Politicking with Professionals.” During the pandemic, he provided and helped set up Covid testing, a vaccine clinic, family emergency funding, the new website (coming soon), the new school building, lots of fundraising events, furniture, tech, and art donations to the school, NFTs for alumni, 2022 and 2024 graduation ceremonies, the annual Senior Six Flags trip, the old senior site at 860 Forest Avenue, the Summer Boost: Python Accelerator Program. The list goes on. Now do you see what we mean? This man gets shit done.
Now do you see what we mean?
This man gets shit done.
School has always come easy to Kale; he can therefore contribute the concept of education to students because it has saved him and kept him successful. What kept him afloat was his second mom, someone who acknowledged his brilliance but ensured his livelihood and well-being. Education saved him, empowered him and kept him successful. He has created the life he has all by himself. He's all about work and working hard — all he needed was a caregiver. This created a significant impact in his life. He was fortunate enough to have the last two Chancellors of NYC as his principals at the first ever Urban Assembly school; now, years later, he works at the first Urban Assembly Charter school in NYC.
Chief Kale quickly realized his passion and life goal was to liberate young black and brown minds. He always looks out for his community. His work ties in with his internal passion and he changes the lives of many POC globally. “Branding is everything to me,” he tells us.
Initially, he wanted to become a lawyer, but when he realized that he wouldn't have as big of an impact as he wanted, he switched to education because he wanted to do more. Having access to so many young minds, he was determined to leave behind a legacy and to have a huge impact. He strives to advocate for students of color to have opportunities that are not easily accessible to them.
Chief Kale does not just play a role in the CSH community but he also has accomplished similar goals in his personal life. From co-owning a museum in Compton, California to focusing on freeing students of color from the systemic injustice they are facing. Students are what keep him afloat in his day-to-day life. His work in Compton is a way to give back and a way “to pay homage to Compton.” “I'm trying to tackle this in two different ways on different sides of the country,” he says. Through his work he provides influence through Hip-Hop and art, developing black and brown experiences.
Sitting with him, we asked him how he manages all of this. Chief Kale expressed how his job can sometimes feel hard in terms of him being one of the only people who does his job.
I agree with him. “It must feel like a one man battle,” I say.
He nods. “I'm trying to figure out how to make what I represent visible to young folks here at Comp Sci High.” He asks himself: “How can I show this to the world? Am I living by example?” He wants to change the narrative of what it means to be an artist. While he is a very private person, and doesn't mind being behind the scenes, it's very important to him that his impact directly creates change.
I assure him he is living by example and he seems a little shocked, “Oh really?”
I tell him he is a role model and an indication of what it means to be black and excellent. He has changed the trajectory of my life and I see a lot of myself within him. His friend Ms. Diaz would also attest to this. Ms. Diaz describes him as a silent force of strength to be reckoned with.
“He truly has a heart for the people,” she says.
Ms. Golden says he represents leadership to staff and students.
“He takes his job seriously and he understands the weight of his role because of his identity,” she says, before continuing: “He has a non-biased approach, a focus on the demographic of kids and appreciation for his identity.”
Co-worker Mr. Pooler says he represents freedom, clarity, support, and love.
I ask Pooler: “What are some things people may be surprised to know about Kale?” Pooler says he is a great cook, basically a vegan chef, that his food is delicious. “He's conscious about food. He believes it's a way to live longer and be happy”. He also enjoys yoga, and Brazilian jiu jitsu. Talk about multifaceted — what doesn't he do?
“What are your long-term goals,” I ask him.
He is quick to answer. “I hope to see more liberation in black communities,” he says, before continuing: “whether that be them experiencing other aspects of what it means to be black, or traveling, or owning their community, or being black and brown oriented, or having economic, political and social power.”
What does the future hold for Chief Kale? Chief Kale hopes to expand his assets so that one day he can be able to be more “laid back” and truly enjoy the finer things in life. “I want to be more free at work,” he says. A perfect life for him would be by a huge body of water. His face lights up the more he talks about his envisioned life in the future. "The sun makes me happy,” he says. He still plans to do the same work in his future but how he does it may look very different. “I want to someday own a lounge, a skyscraper, an entertainment service, or my own music station; it has always been a dream of mine.” He doesn’t stop there. “I want to own a team,” he says, which ties in with his past of sports; he grew up playing soccer, baseball and basketball.
So, who is Chief Kale? He is many things, an exceptional human being, an inspiration, and the man working behind the scenes. The man with many dreams and aspirations. The brains behind Comp Sci High. Kale is brilliant. A man of many talents. Kale's aura is truly unmatchable.