A lot of Ambrose Duckett IV’s story began when he moved to the Pinelands in 2020.
“I remember walking into the classroom in seventh grade just realizing that there were no other African Americans,” he recalled. “Prior to that, I had been in a predominately Black environment. I went to a private school.”
That’s what Duckett shared during a recent staff panel discussion he helped lead at Seneca High School as part of the Multicultural Club.
“We talked about racial issues with the staff at Seneca,” he explained, noting there were six staff panel sessions held in December and January.
Duckett said he remembers feeling – in the pit of his stomach – really left out.
“At first, I felt like I was excluded,” he noted, a feeling similar in eighth grade.
But when he entered Seneca High, Duckett realized the feelings he was having didn’t have to be.
“I realized I can make a change,” he acknowledged. “There were so many more opportunities, so many clubs and activities that I could join.”
It was when he was invited to be a part of Seneca’s Anti-Defamation League (ADL) peer training that his feelings started changing.
“… This is my chance to make a difference,” Duckett remembers thinking. “When I took on a leadership role in the Multicultural Club, I realized I could give students a space where they can share their culture, their identity and not feel left out, especially in a place where they are not equally represented.”
The Multicultural Club grew under his leadership from one to two students when he began to now 15 active members. More students contributed towards creating bulletin boards and participating in Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities.
“We have been doing so much more than we have in prior years,” Duckett explained. “I think this was a big accomplishment.”
For his efforts, Duckett was one of seven students from Central and South Jersey to receive regional honors from Princeton Prize in Race Relations at a ceremony in March. The national award identifies and recognizes high-school students who, through volunteer action and service, have demonstrated leadership in advancing racial equity and promoting racial understanding within their schools and communities.
Dave Knecht, assistant principal and supervisor at Seneca, and Tracy Betts, an English teacher there and advisor with the Multicultural Club, recommended Duckett for the Princeton Prize award and helped him to apply.
“Ambrose is a student leader in our building,” Knecht pointed out. “I have worked closely with him through his role as an ADL Peer Trainer and in his capacity as the Multicultural Club president. He also volunteered to serve on our student panel and share his personal experiences.
“Given his leadership and passion for creating a more inclusive school culture, he was a perfect candidate for the award.”
Duckett was excited for the recognition when he learned about it by email at work.
“I remember the first thing I did, I forwarded the email to Ms. Betts and Dr. Knecht,” he related. “They were the first persons that introduced (the Princeton Prize) to me. “Later on, I told both my parents … (they) are types to text the whole family group chat.”
Duckett is still hearing “congratulations” from family members.
The awards in March were presented to an audience of the students, their families and project supporters, and the local Central/Southern New Jersey Princeton Prize in Race Relations Committee. Rhae Lynn Barnes, assistant professor of American cultural history at Princeton, gave the keynote address.
Barnes holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate from Harvard University. Among her many scholarly interests, she has published widely on topics of race and ethnicity in American culture and history.
“The ceremony was great,” Duckett enthused. “The keynote speaker was amazing. She spoke a lot about history of the prize and how making small differences can make drastic changes in communities. She talked a lot about school districts.
“Even when African Americans weren’t given many opportunities, and when they were not given many rights, they could still make a change just by doing what they could.”
Duckett also enjoyed interacting with the other student winners who hailed from Old Bridge, Freehold, Moorestown, Lawrence, South Toms River and Chesterfield, and hearing stories about why they applied for the prize.
“It was a great experience,” he said.
Princeton created the Princeton Prize in Race Relations in 2003 and awards it annually in 28 cities and regions in the U.S. – including two in New Jersey – to promote harmony, understanding and respect among people of different races. It identifies and recognizes high-school students whose efforts have had “a significant, positive effect on race relations in their schools or communities.”
High-schoolers apply, and Princeton alumni in each locale volunteer to evaluate candidates’ projects and select those that most reflect the mission of the prize.
Duckett plans to attend the University of Maryland in the fall with a concentration in supply chain management.
“I definitely want to get involved,” he remarked, “just like how I did at Seneca in joining organizations that help support racial equality.”
To learn more about the Princeton Prize program, visit https://pprize.princeton.edu.
