His middle-school years were spent at Frederick Douglass Junior High where he was influenced by poet Countee Cullen, a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance, and was encouraged by his math teacher to serve as editor of the school newspaper, The Douglass Pilot.
Sekolah menengahnya dijalani di Frederick Douglass Junior High di mana dia terpengaruh oleh puisi karya Countee Cullen, sosok penting di Harlem Renaissance, dan juga didorong oleh guru matematikanya untuk menjadi editor surat kabar sekolah, The Douglass Pilot.