Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecil Price, III.
Cecil, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Cecil Price, III and I am a proud native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Growing up, I have truly been surrounded by the love of God, my family, and the community as a whole. My ever-growing foundation first began in my home filled with music from the one and only, Bob Marley, to authentic, flavorful Jamaican dishes like ackee and saltfish with rice and peas, dumpling, and plantain. With such a strong Caribbean background, my mother made sure that I stayed true to my faith, education, and service. From a very young age, my mother had me involved in my church’s youth choir; memorizing the 50 states that make up the United States of America; and serving the community, even if it was as little as smiling at someone or asking how their day was – the simple acts of kindness.
As my first ever teacher, my mother realized that I still needed a structured education, so she enrolled me in the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Charter School. The Urban League, now called Urban Academy, is the region’s oldest charter school. Urban Academy was founded by African American community leaders and educators. The main organizers and advocates for the creation of this school were Esther L. Bush and Dr. Gail Edwards of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh. From the very beginning, the school believed that all children, specifically Black children, deserved and needed to be rooted in a high-quality, rigorous, and culturally relevant and responsive learning environment. And as someone who is an alumnus of this great model of academic excellence for Black students in the greater Pittsburgh region, I can truly say that they have been influential in my success, both academically and socially.
With such a positive and pro-Black type of education, I was better equipped for my matriculation into middle school and high school at the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies. If I am being completely honest, I did not think that I could survive at a place like Obama Academy because of its size. Urban League was a small, one-floor school, with about 15-20 students in each classroom; however, with the help of my former principal, Dr. Wayne Walters, also of Caribbean descent, I felt more comfortable with the idea that I was able to thrive in middle school, and later high school. The diverse and culturally relevant environment, that is my school, has given me the tools to not only succeed during my secondary education but post-secondary as well – all of this contributing to who I am today, Cecil Price, III.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
From my experiences as a high school student and member of the community, I have seen the effect that systems of exploitation have in today’s society – no matter age, race, or gender. Specifically, as a person of color, I have witnessed the unwavering sense of persecution that has victimized minorities and people of color in this nation for generations. This kind of intent to demolish the foundation of such a rich culture has been present in economic, social, political, and educational systems. Such ill-treatment has caused many of those who are deemed superior, to prey on the ones who are deemed inferior. Even amid such turmoil, I began to understand that the only way to dismantle these systems of exploitation, to create social justice for all mankind, we as a people must have a willingness to want to do more than just survive in this world; we must want to thrive as well.
With such a realization, it has been my mission to find methods that will help lead and bring together like-minded students of color in trying to remove all barriers to advance excellence locally, but most importantly, globally. This means going out into the community and finding those who are unaware of their potential and educating them on the richness of our roots and culture. Our heritage is too profound to be controlled by any institution that has been established to disenfranchise our people. A united, unapologetic, and liberated beloved community will be the solution to dismantling these systems of exploitation to create social justice for all mankind.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a Student Ambassador, I pride myself on being a conscientious, civically, and socially engaged student, brother, son, and friend. Accompanied by this title, I have had many leadership roles that have allowed me to become involved in the lives of students and the community at large – as Student Body President of the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies and President of the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ African American Centers for Advanced Studies (AACAS) Executive Committee. The sole purpose of this committee is to be a beacon of support, encouragement, and advocacy for the AACAS Council (African American gifted and talented high school students) in maintaining academic, social, and emotional excellence while building balanced identities of self, confidence, and competence. I just recently received an award from Princeton University for my work in race relations as President of the AACAS Executive Committee.
For my exceptional scholarship, extraordinary leadership and remarkable character, I received the Outstanding Young Citizens Award in 2019 and 2020. I am also the Youth Director and Drummer of the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, a member of the National Honor Society and Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens, Student Leader of both the Journey to Medicine and YMCA Youth and Government programs, and an Educator at the Urban Academy of Greater Pittsburgh Charter School. Due to my ongoing engagement with the Urban Academy’s faculty and student body, I was given the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018. My academic record includes maintaining a 4.661 GPA with Valedictorian status, the completion of International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, winning both the 6th Annual Dr. King Celebration: The Fight for Freedom Continues and 2020 Western PA Student Black History Month Summit essay contest, and receiving the Academic Excellence Award in 2018.
While continuing my work in various academic and social fields, my most impactful work has been done as a guest speaker at the State of Black Learning Conference, the Summer Leadership Academy, the 6th Annual SCW Foundation Benefit Gala, Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, the Tickets for Kids 25th Anniversary, the 2019 CAS Expo of Excellence, and What Black Pittsburgh Needs to Know About COVID-19 town hall. By speaking at these events, I have tried my best to be a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem. I have also been blessed to be featured in several media platforms like Identity Talk for Educators Live, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Magazine, Trib Total Media, 90.5 WESA Radio, WPXI, JET 24 Action News, WAMO Radio, and WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, where my platform has made room for other students to emulate and to be encouraged that their current state is not their final fate.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would not do so because it has all lead up to the proudest moment of my academic career thus far – my acceptance to Morehouse College, as the Class of 2024. As a future Man of Morehouse, I truly believe that this next step in my life is a testament to my continuous pursuit of excellence. The motto of my school, the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies, is, “Nothing in life is so complicated that it cannot be achieved by discipline and hard work.” With the attributes of discipline and hard work, I have achieved success in everything that I set my mind to, whether it be academically or socially. This prime example of the Mamba mentality highlights the lengths that I would endure to go above and beyond the call of duty. I have been told by my mother that I never want to inherit the Microwave mentality – a mentality that involves having the attitude that if something cannot be done in five minutes or less, it is not worth doing. This kind of mentality would not be beneficial to me or the community. Having the attributes of negligence and laziness would be detrimental to the work that I am trying to achieve for the betterment of future generations.
As I continue along my path at the prestigious Morehouse College, I will don a new motto, (Et facta est lux), which is Latin for (Let there be light). As a descendant of immigrants, my grandfather was not given the opportunity to advance his education; however, my grandfather’s lack thereof did not stop him from making sure that his future children and grandchildren had access to the opportunities that he did not possess. My mother, the first high school and college graduate in our family, set the bar of perseverance, excellence, and grace. I believe that by attending Morehouse College, the institution’s legacy of brotherhood will help me build upon the man that my grandfather and mother know that I can become. With such an opportunity, comes the possibility that I can share my light with my future Morehouse brethren, leaving a lasting, positive impact on society for generations to come.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (412) 438-8448
- Email: cecilprice3rd@gmail.com
- Instagram: @cecilprice3rd
- Facebook: @Cecil Price III
- Twitter: @cecilprice3rd
- Snapchat: @cecilprice3rd
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