After placing fourth on America’s Got Talent last year, the Leo High School Choir is focused on what comes next—serving the community during Leo’s 100th anniversary year.
Principal Shaka Rawls, who's also an alum of the school says, “our motto at Leo is Facta Non Verba," which means "deeds not words" in Latin. “If you are homeless, then we give you shelter. If you are hungry, then we help provide food. If you are naked, we help provide clothing,” Rawls added.
Choir Manager Yolanda Horton says that same service comes through music.
“They’re not just singing. They’re bringing peace into families. They’re bringing unity and a sense of healing.”
Rawls says the choir reflects how the school wants young Black and Brown boys to be seen. “If that is uplifting the image of African-American men… for a nationwide view, then that’s this current iteration of our vision. Our mission is to serve our community.”
Horton adds to that sentiment. “Regardless of what the outcome was. It was just a matter of exposing the rest of the world to what we already see on a daily basis," she said. "We needed them to understand, that it was not about the win on that show, but it was about what we continue to do as we move forward past the show. And that’s what you’re seeing with these events that we have coming up.”
That vision includes scholarships, civic performances, and a yearlong centennial celebration—focused on deeds, not words.