Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts is definitely a success story for a school that started as a place to send the marginalized student. It began its existence as a segregated African American school in Dallas, Texas. Today it is the city’s celebrated high school for the performing arts. Not only does it rate as an exemplary campus in the core academics that schools must offer, Dallas’ high school for the performing arts knows fame very well.
The school boasts an alumni roster that lists some of the most influential contemporary musicians and actors of today. Beginning with musicians, the arts magnet school was home to the highly influential Edie Brickell. Brickell and her New Bohemians introduced the quirky, complex pop music that defined smart musical composition in the late 1980s. Today, Brickell is working as a solo artist, and she is married to another musical icon named Paul Simon. Following Brickell was R&B game changer, Erykah Badu. When pop and R&B desperately needed a healthy dose of class, the high school for the performing arts offered up one of the smartest, smoothest and most respected musicians working today. Not to be outdone, the next round of famous alumni produced yet another musician of a completely different style. Norah Jones is probably one of the coolest jazz and roots and torch singers to ever emerge in American music.
In the acting category, the high school for the performing arts brought forth Elizabeth Mitchell, who was part of the cast for the hugely popular television series, “Lost.” She also took a prime time lead roll in “V.” Certainly, Dallas’ arts magnet school has proven it is exemplary in something besides the three “R”s.