Newark Students Thank Principal For Free Laundromat On ‘Ellen'

NEWARK, NJ — Just a few weeks after getting a social media fist bump from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a Newark principal who stood up for bullied students at his school made a smile-inducing appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”… for the second time.

On Friday, West Side High School principal Akbar Cook made a return trip to speak with DeGeneres, giving an update on progress at his school’s inspiring free laundromat. (Watch the video here)

Cook first gained national attention after he installed a free laundry room at West Side High when he heard students were being bullied for wearing dirty clothes. He recently got a nod of support on Twitter from Sen. Booker in honor of Black History Month.

• See related article: Senator Praises Newark Principal Who Stopped Bullies With Laundry

Last year, the hardworking principal appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to accept a $50,000 donation from Cheerios to help keep the suds flowing. It was an experience that was almost otherworldly, he told DeGeneres during an update on March 1.

“When I got back it was like there was a Super Bowl parade waiting on me,” Cook recalled.

During his Friday appearance, Cook spoke about how the installment of the laundry room has changed the culture at school, increasing both attendance and enrollment of students. In return, DeGeneres had another surprise in the wings… another $50,000 donation, courtesy of Cheerios.

The newest donation was announced live at West Side High in Newark, where Cook’s students literally made their principal laugh with joy as he listened to their words of thanks.

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."

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