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Kenny shares a smile with a former Banneker student on summer break (2019).  |
Disclaimer: I am a Hampton graduate, but before I matriculated at my Home by the Sea, the first HBCU I frequented was Howard University because I attended Benjamin Banneker Model Academic College Preparatory Senior High School--it was right across the street. I also served as an intern at Howard's WHUT-TV during my junior year at Banneker, and I conducted research for my high school thesis paper at the university's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. As a result, this disclaimer is to make it known that I am a supporter of all institutions of higher learner that support and groom students to explore their ambitions. Please be clear, however, my loyalty is to my pirate blue and white, but I am here to celebrate success no matter the location. In the words of Dr. William R. Harvey, "Let's get on with it." I hate that I had to do this, but the INTERNET...sigh.
I am convinced there is a formula for success--pray and collect or reject energies. Oh yeah, and go where people know your name. As I enter nearly 27 years as a Banneker alumna, I also celebrate the community involvement that the Howard Deli provided over the years--33 of them I can account for. Due to the pandemic, it has closed its doors, but it's legacy will live on in the hearts of patrons forever.
The Howard Deli, or what my classmates and I called "Kenny's" was a place where we started the day
with a warm blueberry muffin that blanketed the anointed butter that slept in the middle of it or a warm bagel with generous portion of cream cheese. It was also our go to spot for lunch. Even when the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) eliminated "off-campus" lunch in 1992 due to senseless violence, Kenny, "Pepi" and Frankie Diaz immediately developed a plan to feed our need for made-to-order sandwiches. Before Uber Eats, before Door Dash, before Grub Hub, we had Howard Deli--pay for our order before 9:05 a.m. and have it delivered at lunch time. It was a plan that worked.
More important than feeding our teenage bellies was the consistent support Kenny and his brother Pepi provided the students at Banneker. They were our community advocates. While celebrities stopped by and offered autographed pictures to be placed on the walls of the deli, the real stars were the students whose names, year after year, were listed as they achieved a milestone--acceptance and matriculation at a college or university. At Howard Deli, we soon realized that we were more than a paying customer. We were part of an extended network that kept rooting for us. It was a home that nurtured our dreams and ambitions with smiles, listening ears, and a big 'ole hug either when entered the door and as we departed.
Want to know what community should look like, see the model that made a difference in the lives of the students at the neighborhood school where 96% of the students are African American, Latinx, or Asian. No one ever feared judgement. No one ever felt anxious. Everyone felt validated, encouraged, and loved. It was always good to come home even after the ink had dried many years after graduation. At the Howard Deli, we were ALWAYS family. It is a place where our aspirations were shared and celebrated and our names were NEVER forgotten.
Thank you, Kenny, Pepi, and Frankie Diaz, for your service to the community that will never forget your names.
