In a heart-wrenching incident that shook a local community, King Randall, founder of The X for Boys, an all-boys boarding school in Albany, GA, is facing yet another challenge. An act of vandalism against his school left the facility severely damaged. Randall shared the harrowing experience of what happened from beginning to end. However, amidst the devastation, the story of this school is also one of resilience and unwavering support from the community.

It all started on a seemingly ordinary Sunday when Randall went to check on the school before its summer camp commenced. The school was planning to host a recreational summer camp for the students, aiming to engage them in physical activities and sports.

Upon arrival, King noticed a broken back window but initially dismissed it as a random occurrence, as they had dealt with minor incidents before. However, when he entered the building, the full extent of the damage became apparent. The vandals had wreaked havoc, destroying furniture, shattering glass, and defacing the school’s property:

When we do summer camp, we just like to do recreation activity. We like to make sure the boys are exercising and things like that. We were going to use the actual school building for a basketball and things like that. And so everything was fine. I went and everything was good. Two, three days later, me and the boys went to go play basketball…I got to the back door and I realized while we were pulling up there, one of the back windows was broken. I didn’t think too much of it because we had someone that broke a window before and we didn’t have any issues like that. It wasn’t anything crazy. Somebody broke a window. So I didn’t think too much of it, but I was just like, Here we go again. So I go in the building and I immediately see everything everywhere. Stuff destroyed, doors pulled off hinges, things inside of the walls. I mean, glass everywhere, it’s insane.

Shortly after discovering the damage, King and his students realized the perpetrators were still in the building. Remaining composed, King took charge and held the intruders at gunpoint until the police arrived promptly and arrested three interlopers: One woman and two men.

The extent of the destruction and the specific items targeted by the vandals indicated that this act was more than just random mischief. They had attacked King’s personal belongings, including a painting of him and the school’s logo, suggesting a more calculated and personal motive behind the vandalism. He explained that he is “not the most popular guy in town” due to his refusal to remain silent about how the local government and community leaders have not done enough to help those in need in the city.

“It was definitely calculated based off of some of the personal stuff that was done, like this is throwing my picture out and destroying our school logo and ripping up uniforms and stuff,” Randall said. “Yeah, spray paint, not the hole in the wall, but certain things that were done, it was just unnecessary. Just pulling baseboards off the wall, pulling the seats out of the walls, taking all the pool balls off the pool table.”

Despite the heartbreak and anger in the moment, Randall, as always, chose to look at the silver lining. He expressed faith in the idea that, amid adversity, good things often follow. His unwavering positivity and trust in a higher purpose resonated with many people, sparking a surge of community support.

Our school was destroyed, but we’re going to bounce back better than ever! God is on our side and we have #BIGBOYFAITH at every moment. 🙏🏿

We KEEP BUILDING! 🔥

Support:https://t.co/nwYJJpl36b pic.twitter.com/3Fx0ggxvtz

— King Randall, I. (@NewEmergingKing) July 9, 2023

The X for Boys launched its Life Preparatory School years ago and recently procured a facility for its use. Randall’s mission is to train and educate disadvantaged boys in Albany, Georgia, a predominantly black city that has the highest poverty rate in the state. Despite roadblocks from the local government, Randall has been serving his community and helping young black boys through education, mentorship, job skills training, and more.

The news of the school’s unfortunate fate spread like wildfire through social media and local news outlets. The response was overwhelming, with countless individuals expressing their solidarity with King Randall and his school. People from near and far offered to lend a helping hand in the cleanup and restoration process.

While the damage caused by the vandals was substantial, King Randall and his team are focused on moving forward. The outpouring of support has enabled them to continue fundraising efforts and cover tuition for several students, giving hope that they will get back on track. However, the school needs more to cover tuition for the rest of the students. If you would like to contribute, you can do so here.

Also, check out my interview with King Randall below: