Curtis Dright III, 5, lines up with the rest of his kindergarten class on the first day of school at The 100 Black Men Community School on Tuesday Sept. 04 2012 in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle / SF
In the first hour of the first day of school Tuesday, the sixth-grade Oakland boy was sure he was in trouble for goofing off. His teacher, Peter Wilson, had stopped his lesson in mid-sentence and turned his attention to the African American preteen, who now wore an uh-oh expression as he braced for a rebuke. “Did you eat breakfast this morning?” Wilson asked quietly as the confused boy shook his head no. “Your actions are telling me you’re hungry.” The teacher, also African American, then promised to bring fruit and granola bars the next day and returned to teaching. The boy’s behavior immediately improved.