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Article: The Duke Ellington School of the Arts: Washington D.C., public school saves lives and creates stars.
- Article from:
- Ebony
- Article date:
- January 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Johnson Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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FROM the outside it looks like any other public school. But open the door to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts A L in Washington, D.C., and one thing becomes instantly clear: this is no typical high school. This is a place where young dreamers learn to make their dreams come true. A place that turns unknowns into unforgettables. A place that transforms young people into stars. Big stars. Most importantly, it is a place that saves lives. As founder Peggy Cooper Cafritz puts it, it is a place where students' "dreams are so big and real that they've propelled these kids out of difficult, poor, often illiterate families and into some of the finest artistic arenas in ...