Back to School with P. Diddy

In 2012, after a colleague and I interviewed educator Steve Perry by phone, Perry invited us to attend his upcoming book party at the home of broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien. My colleague, who was big from being with child at the time, wasn’t able to make it, but I went and was gratified to meet Perry in person.

Some heavy hitters were in attendance—Geoffrey Canada, for one, whose smile lit up the place. But later, P. Diddy came in.

“What’s he doing here?” I remember thinking. “This book party is for educators.”

I thought of that the other day, when I heard that Diddy (or Sean Combs) had started his own charter school in Harlem. Perhaps he came to Perry’s book party four years ago not as a rap artist, but because he was thinking of how he could make a difference in education.

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