Students at the Philadelphia High School for Girls (Girls High) were in for a big surprise Wednesday when they received a visit from a famous alumnus prior to the unveiling of the school’s new mural as part of its 175th-anniversary celebration.
Singer, actress, and poet Jill Scott shocked the more than 700 excited students seated in Girls High’s auditorium to view the school’s new mural, sponsored by the city’s Mural Arts program. Scott’s immense popularity was apparent when she entered the room, smiling and waving to the girls she called her sisters. She happily took a seat in the audience among them, dabbing at tears that flowed intermittently during her stay.
It turned out that Scott was as excited to be back at Girls High as the students, staff, principal Janis Butler, School District of Philadelphia superintendent Tony Watlington, and members of Girls High Alumnae Association, including its president, Azeb Kinder, were to have her.
After she left her auditorium seat and joined other dignitaries on stage, Scott smiled and wiped her eyes until it was her turn to speak. The North Philly native, who has performed at venues and for kings and queens around the world, somehow seemed overwhelmed to be standing before the Girls High crowd.
“This – is – unbelievable,” she said to the screaming crowd. “I couldn’t sleep last night, I woke up in tears, I cried all the way here, I can’t seem to stop and I’m good. I’m good with it. I need you to understand,” she said and sighed. “I walked into this auditorium–my class is 234, by the way,” she said, referring to her class number, “I walked into this auditorium for the first time so many years ago and saw all these dope chicks. These fly girls, intelligent and attractive, I was like, ‘Oh, I picked the right school.’”
Scott, who has won three Grammy awards, sang her first song on that very Girls High stage on her Freshman Day. She said she had never sung before an audience prior to that day but that after she finished singing, she received her first standing ovation. It was at Girls High, she recalled, learning from her teacher, Mr. Murphy, that words have so much power and that even when singing words, you must understand them in order for them to have depth and express what you mean.
Scott, a Girls High Distinguished Daughter, also told the shocked crowd she missed 48 days of school her senior year due to her family’s financial difficulties and was unable to walk with her class at graduation. She said she went to summer school, though, and got her diploma.
“It meant a lot for me to be in this school,” she said, “I carry it with a great deal of pride. This isn’t my first time back. Since then, I’ve been able to tour with the Broadway play, ‘Rent,’ I’ve been able to perform at the White House four times, I’ve closed the Pulitzer awards, and I’ve performed in more countries than you can shake a stick at. I got a couple of Grammys and a couple of acting awards too. All of that sparked from being here in this safe space for girls and young women to grow and thrive.”
Girls High Alumnae Association executive director Marcia L. Hinton said Scott spoke the very words students needed to hear.
“Her words of encouragement were just what the girls needed after a tough year that included the reassignment of their beloved principal,” said Hinton, who is also a Girl’s High graduate. “Jill captures the essence of Philadelphia. She’s a Philadelphian through and through and represents the best example of what Girls High has to offer to the world.”
New York-based artist Patrick Dougher designed the mural, a photo of which was unveiled at the end of the assembly. The painting depicts Jill Scott wearing a crown and tossing other crowns to students. It will be painted on the outside wall facing Broad Street and dedicated in October. Though the mural is part of the 175th anniversary of the school, the Philadelphia High School for Girls is 176 years old. In addition to Scott, among its other more than 125 graduates honored as a Distinguished Daughter are attorney Gloria Allred; Judith Rodin, the first female president of an Ivy League school (University of Pennsylvania), and Mary Schmidt Campbell, retired president of Spelman College in Atlanta.
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