Newark Principal Is Also Up-And-Coming Comic Book Creator

NEWARK, NJ — It’s a challenging goal: change the world “one comic book at a time.” But to Naseed Gifted, principal at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, when you put STEM education and art together, it can make a huge difference in a young person’s life.

Gifted, the creative force behind the graphic novel “P.B.Soldier: The Awakening,” is using his love for comics to educate while entertaining. The two-time Glyph Comic Awards and Urban Action Showcase nominee recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to produce and distribute his 170-page brainchild, which chronicles the adventures of covert operative Nat Cummings, a skilled computer hacker who uses his talents to pay for college tuition.

See the campaign or make a donation.

If it hits the $10,000 mark, the Kickstarter fundraiser will also make a donation to the Malcolm X Shabazz High School Gerald Lawson’s Video Game and App Development Academy, a program that Gifted has developed and led for the past two years. If the campaign surpasses the $15,000 mark, Gifted promises to distribute “STEM Classroom Kits” to several public schools in Newark for free.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology graduate is no stranger to successful crowdfunding. In 2016, he raised more than $8,500 through his company PBS Media, for the individual print run of P.B. Soldier.

• See related article: Newark Comic Book Creator Hopes To Promote Diversity With 'P.B. Soldier'

P.B. Soldier isn’t the only way that Gifted is trying to pass on his infectious love for comics. He’s the founder of the “Khem Comic Fest” in Newark, which puts the spotlight on minority writers and artists, and regularly travels around the country speaking about diversity and STEM in the world of graphic novels.

Gifted’s experience growing up in Newark – he attended George Washington Carver Elementary School and Science High School (before it became Science Park) – has a big influence on his work, he says.

For example, the late Carl Sharif, a beloved mentor to many politicians in the area who often said “We don’t need permission to take back our community,” served as a model for Nat Cummings’ own mentor in P.B. Soldier.

• See related article: NJ Comic Creator's New Book Honors Newark African-American Icon

It's a mentality that Gifted brings to work. As he writes on his "principal's message" on the school website:

"When you enter Malcolm X Shabazz you can immediately tell that you’ve found a special place. We’ve carved out a small piece of Newark and made it our home. We’ve offered to this community a sanctuary where we attempt to disrupt toxic schooling practices, the trauma of poverty, and institutionalized oppression. By examining our living conditions, growing our skills in reading, writing, numeracy, and critical thinking, and applying what we’ve learned, we as a community can and will thrive."

Ultimately, Gifted hopes that his comic book – which features a black protagonist and supporting cast of characters – will give his students a new entry point into the world of science and math education.

“We’re trying to get students interested in STEM and we use comic books as a vehicle,” he said.

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