The world needs more men like King Randall, I. Real men, true gentlemen, to be specific. For those not yet fortunate enough to know of King Randall, he has been on a God-driven mission to save young black men in the impoverished town of Albany, GA, since 2018, at just 19 years of age. He bought his first school bus in 2021. Despite numerous obstacles, The Life Preparatory School for Boys, a boarding school, officially wrapped up its successful first year this spring—thanks to this young man and his laser-focused determination to offer hope and change lives. Indeed, Randall—who has moved the X For Boys from his kitchen table to a huge The Life Preparatory School for Boys facility capable of transforming the futures of hundreds of young boys—is a real-life hero who leads by example.
During the first year of The Life Preparatory School for Boys, the school dealt with multiple setbacks, including individuals calling the fire department to shut them down and the city of Albany attempting to throw them out of their building. Yet, as with all things rooted in God—goodness and love prevailed. The school forged through the year with many boys, including a 13-year-old former gang member who had been shot, making the honor roll and, most likely for the first time, experiencing a life-changing sense of inner pride. Typing those words makes tears come to my eyes.
UncoverDC has followed King Randall's extraordinary mission to save young black boys for years. Without fail, Randall has never wavered from setting a good example, and today, June 26, 2023, is no different. In what is clearly, at least in part, a personal attack against him, we learned that Randall has taken the high road even after intruders vandalized and attempted to destroy his school. Waiting over a week to speak publicly about the deliberate destruction of the school, Randall shared that he didn't want to talk about what happened. He wanted to keep doing what he does best, noting that he "just wanted to keep moving" forward. Still, his team urged him to let the public know. Thus, today he tweeted:
"Last Sunday, I came to check on our school, and everything was fine. We came to play basketball with our summer program students on Wednesday and saw a window was broken into.
I entered the building and heard noises. I'm seeing almost everything deliberately destroyed.
I held the intruders at gunpoint until the police arrived.
Sinks were pulled out of the walls, toilets smashed, glass busted everywhere, uniforms and merchandise destroyed, etc.
A few things were stolen, but it was personal. They took a picture of me and threw it in the alley."
Sharing that he feels sure the attack was coordinated, Randall said the school's main logo on the school wall was destroyed, sinks were pulled loose from walls, and doors were ripped from hinges. The destruction apparent in the pictures shared on Twitter is unfathomable. Who would intentionally destroy a school making such a positive impact? Besides the sheer destruction to the facility and its contents, Randall remarked that given the nature of the items stolen, it is difficult to believe that the three individuals he caught acted alone.
Immediately after Randall shared the news of the vandalism on Twitter, he shifted his focus back to the well-being of his boys, which is where it has stayed from day one. Besides the school's fantastic curriculum, the first year of The Life Preparatory School for Boys incorporated Bible study, book clubs, gardening, and daily exercise, among other things. His boys are leading happier, healthier lives together. They have lost weight and have gotten off of dangerous ADHD medications. Most importantly, they are learning to love themselves and be positive members of society.
And it is all because of one young man who cares about them and wants to teach them how to be upstanding men—good sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers. Each of them ultimately becoming upstanding protectors and providers for their communities. Randall knows how vital these character traits are for the future of our nation. And he's not afraid to talk about how they're being intentionally destroyed. Having compassion for the vandals and boasting about his boys right after sharing the unfortunate news, Randall was again thinking forward, tweeting:
"Thankfully, we're still able to operate out of our office building and no one was hurt in this process.
I may get pushback for saying this, but I honestly felt sorry for one of them. He's going through a divorce and has a son and he started to become remorseful. I looked him up and I just got sad at the entire situation in general.
I know everyone is asking about rebuilding etc. Right now, my focus remains on getting the tuition covered for the rest of our students. We live in one of the poorest cities in the country. Their parents cannot afford it."
As I mentioned, the world needs more real men like King Randall, I. We thank him for his unwavering efforts to positively shape the lives of every young man whose life he touches. Undoubtedly, Albany, GA, should be thanking him, too.
