Heart of Stone: An 85-minute documentary by Beth Toni Kruvant, 2008.
This film documents the challenges of an inner city high school and the workings of its devoted principal, ambitious Jewish and African American alumni, students, and even gang members to restore the school’s safety and past glory.
In 2001, Weequahic High School’s new principal Ron Stone created an unconventional conflict resolution program inspiring gang members to graduate and pursue college. Stone, who watched students engage in a mass brawl upon his arrival to the school, was able to forge a truce with the gangs and establish the school as a “non-violence” zone.
Stone partners with the alumni to raise funds for college scholarships and other school activities. At Weequahic High School, where Philip Roth immortalized his Newark, NJ as a turn of the century Camelot, we see an unusual tale where past meets present and adolescents strive to overcome adversity.