If you spend any time in the South Ward of Newark, you’ll eventually see the green and gold. It’s more than just school colors. At 80 Johnson Avenue, Malcolm X Shabazz High School stands as a massive, brick-and-mortar testament to a city that refuses to quit. Honestly, if these walls could talk, they’d tell you about the 1914 opening as South Side High, the 1971 renaming in honor of Malcolm X, and a list of alumni that sounds like a "Who's Who" of American culture.
But here’s the thing. Most people only know Shabazz for two things: the legendary "Soul Bowl" football rivalry or the headlines about Newark’s educational struggles. That’s a shallow way to look at it. There is a lot more going on inside those hallways than just sports and stats.
The Reality of Malcolm X Shabazz High School Today
Walking into Shabazz isn't like walking into a suburban academy. It’s intense. The school spirit is thick, almost heavy. You’ve got a student body that’s currently around 350 to 400 kids, depending on the year's enrollment flux. It’s smaller than it used to be, but that’s made it feel more like a family.
A lot of people think the school is just "troubled." That’s a label that’s stuck since the 2010s when things were, frankly, pretty rough. Principals were cycling through like a revolving door. But then Gemar Mills stepped in back in 2011, and more recently, Dr. Atiba Buckman has been at the helm. They didn't just try to "fix" the school; they tried to change the vibe.
They brought in The Future Project, where "Dream Directors" like Divine Bradley asked kids a simple question: "What’s something big and bold you want to do?" That might sound kinda "fluff" to some, but in a neighborhood where the graduation rate has hovered around 70-72% lately, having someone take your dreams seriously is a game-changer. It’s about agency.
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Academic Grit and the Career Academies
Don't let the sports trophies fool you into thinking the books aren't being cracked. The curriculum has pivoted hard toward Career and Technical Education (CTE). This isn't your grandfather’s shop class. We’re talking about:
- Madam C.J. Walker Cosmetology Academy: Students are actually getting hours toward their state licenses while finishing their diplomas.
- The Engineering Academy: Partnering with NJIT to give kids a head start on college credits.
- Aviation and Lincoln Tech Partnerships: Literally training kids for high-demand mechanic and tech roles before they even turn 18.
Is it perfect? No. The test scores in math and language arts still face uphill battles. But the school is accredited by the Middle States Association through 2031. That’s not a participation trophy; it’s an earned validation of the work being done to keep standards up.
The Bulldog Athletic Legacy
You can’t talk about Malcolm X Shabazz High School without talking about the Bulldogs. It’s impossible. This school is a factory for talent.
Take the girls' basketball team. They have 11 state championships—the most of any public school in New Jersey. They had a run of five titles in a row from 2010 to 2014. That’s not just "good for Newark," that’s a dynasty. And the boys' track team? They just took home a national championship in the 4x400 relay at the Nike Indoor Nationals in 2025.
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Then there’s the football. The Soul Bowl against Weequahic High School is basically a holiday in Newark. It’s the fiercest rivalry in the state. People come from all over just to see the bands, the tailgates, and the raw energy on the field. In 2023, the football team grabbed another sectional title, proving the Bulldog pride isn't just a relic of the past.
Who Actually Came From Here?
The alumni list is wild. It’s a mix of world-class singers, CEOs, and politicians.
- Gloria Gaynor: The voice of "I Will Survive" graduated in 1961.
- Cissy Houston: Grammy winner and mother of Whitney.
- Bernard Marcus: The co-founder of Home Depot.
- Ed Koch: The former Mayor of New York City.
- Sharpe James: Longtime Newark Mayor.
It’s a weird, beautiful mix of people who went on to literally shape the world. It shows that despite the "inner-city" labels, the foundation laid here is solid.
Why It Matters in 2026
Newark is changing. You see the development downtown, the new apartments, the tech hubs. But places like Shabazz are the anchors. They keep the history of the South Ward alive. The school serves a population where a majority of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. The challenges are real—poverty, local violence, and underfunding—but the narrative of "failure" is just lazy.
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Students here are balancing life in a way most adults couldn't. They’re dealing with "big world" problems while trying to pass AP Physics. The teachers who stay—and many do—are there because they believe in the kids, not the paycheck.
What You Can Actually Do
If you’re a parent, an alum, or just someone in Newark who wants to see the school thrive, there are practical ways to engage.
- Support the CTE Programs: These academies need local business partnerships. If you run a shop, a salon, or a tech firm, reach out to the school’s CTE coordinator. Mentorship is worth more than a donation.
- Attend the Games: Seriously. The gate money helps the athletic department, and the energy of a full stadium tells these kids the community has their back.
- Check the Newark Enrolls Portal: If you’re a parent, look past the old reputation. Look at the specific academies. The student-to-teacher ratio is often better than you’d expect (around 14:1 or even lower in some specialized tracks).
- Alumni Networks: Join the Newark Public Schools Historical Preservation Committee or the MXS alumni groups. They are the ones funding scholarships and keeping the "Bulldog for Life" spirit alive.
The story of Malcolm X Shabazz High School isn't finished. It’s being written every day in the cosmetology lab, on the track, and in the classrooms where the next Gloria Gaynor or Bernard Marcus is currently sitting, probably wondering what's for lunch. It’s a place of radical resilience. And that’s something worth paying attention to.