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Just two generations removed from slavery, he was born in Panama, and later raised in the mountains of Jamaica. He grew up barefoot, cutting sugarcane, and hauling firewood and bananas down to the coast until he finally saved enough to buy his first pair of shoes at age 18. With new shoes and big dreams, he made his way back to Panama, and within 2 years became a professor at the local university. He then applied to NYU, won a scholarship, and arrived in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1952. While attending classes he waited tables, performed in off-Broadway shows, wrote several screenplays, sang in Village venues, and cut an album. After graduating he became a NYC public high school teacher in East Harlem.

Teacher by day, actor and singer by night, in the early 60’s he became heavily involved in the civil rights movement. Angry at systematic racism that directly impacted Blacks and Latinos across America, and increasing frustrated by the slow wheels of change, he was determined to do more than just continue to attend rallies, march, and write petitions. He started with what he knew: the arts and teaching.

The institutionalized oppression of minorities was also deeply embedded in educational system and he set out to improve it. He started by writing short biographical plays (Martin Luther King Jr., Louis Munoz Marin, John F. Kennedy, and many others) that his students would then act out, and from there the fuse was lit. His students came alive. They wanted to know more about history and writing, and most of all they wanted more of his books/plays.

Each day after work he put all his energy into developing a curriculum designed to engage and empower inner-city minorities who were either failing or dropping out of school in record numbers. He wrote twenty more plays and then added workbooks to create a true core reading and literacy program which he aptly named Teaching Reading Through Drama.

His next challenge was production. Undaunted by being rejected by every publishing house he approached, he decided to turn the tables and do it all himself. With his meager savings he purchased a small printing company on West 25th St and then created his own publishing company.

Difficult as it was to leave his students, he stopped teaching and went out on the road to tackle the Board of Ed. Through the strength of his will, his charisma, his never give up mentality, and the power of the Teaching Reading Through Drama program he soon won contracts in NYC, Baltimore, Washington DC, Chicago, and LA. After becoming the embodiment of the American dream as a successful Black-Latino businessman, he faced new challenges. The mafia came after him with guns demanding kickbacks, and the police, fire department and building inspectors all threatened to shut him down if he didn’t add them to his payroll. He faced them all with bat in hand at his front door, refusing to give in, back down, or pay a single dollar.

Despite the success of his program, the Board of Ed made massive spending cuts in the early 80’s and keeping his company afloat became more and more challenging. He finally decided to close up shop and reinvent himself by becoming a restaurateur and club owner. West Indian quinine and head-lining jazz musicians like Bennie Carter, Ahmad Jamal, Patato Valdez, and George Benson performed downstairs while he wrote and directed plays in the upstairs venue.

After 12 years in the night club business he went full circle and decided to return to his first love: teaching. He remained a NYC school teacher, mentor, and advocate for change within the Board of Ed until his death in 1995.

Who was this amazing man?

His name was John A. Hines (everyone called him Juan), and I’m proud and honored to say he was my father.

Love always Dad