Like the entertainment industry, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges is all over Banneker High School.
The rapper and actor, who was once banned from his alma mater, now has a gymnasium named for him and shares space on a mural which also features the school's namesake, Benjamin Banneker.
Bridges heard about a mock funeral students staged in February to symbolically put problems in their past firmly behind them. Inspired by their determination, Bridges returned to the College Park school to plant a tree and to offer words of encouragement to the school's 1,600 students. He spoke especially to the Men of Destiny program, a group of 300 teenage boys who are being mentored by male faculty members.
"It's not about the hand you're dealt, it's how you play it," he told hundreds of screaming young fans. "I'm living proof."
Bridges' presence on the school campus was a big deal, not only for students but also for administrators and former teachers. Four years ago a previous administration told Bridges he was not welcome on school grounds because of the disruption his visits caused. A wall grew between Bridges and the school, and he vowed never to return.
"But this thing has come 180 degrees, and now you are always welcome," principal Robert Williams said. He hopes the school can form a new relationship with Bridges that will be beneficial to the students.
After the assembly, Bridges and the Men of Destiny gathered on the front lawn to plant the tree, a symbol of the future, Bridges said.
Two camera crews followed Bridges, a 1996 graduate of Banneker, during his visit. One of the crews was from the reality show Bridges is taping with Motley Crue's Tommy Lee, "Battleground Earth." The show is scheduled to air this summer on a new network, Planet Green.
