ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A Rochester educator is committed to leading the next generation of leaders.

As school buses leave for the day and students cleared the halls, there was one more lesson to learn.

Jerome Merritt-Johnson is a teacher at Northeast College High School. And he has a passion for history.

“Well, I want students to appreciate this great city, to appreciate what it used to be and how it has changed over time,” Merritt-Johnson said. “You know, I did live through and have lived through quite a bit of this.”

One of those major events is the 1964 race riots in Rochester.

“What we don’t want to see is this happening again in our great city,” he said. “This is why it’s so important for everyone to go to school.”

Merritt-Johnson is hopeful his life lessons and knowledge will help drive students to achieve.

“I try my best,” Merritt-Johnson said. “I want to inspire these students. I want them to see you can be anything that you want to be in life.”

Much of that passion is driven by his own history of being the first Black postmaster in the village of Palmyra in 1983, a position he held for nearly 25 years.

“I didn’t think I was going to get the supervisor, postmaster job because I didn’t see any other African Americans with those positions,” Merritt-Johnson said. “I just didn’t see them, you know, so I figured, okay, it’s not going to happen. But it did and it was based on my ability.”

Despite doubts about his age and ability after retiring, Merritt-Johnson followed his goal of becoming a teacher in Rochester and helping the next generation of adults.

“I didn’t see very many African Americans or Latinos graduating from school,” he said. “I said whatever I can do to help students get over the finish line I’m going to do it.”

During his years of teaching, Merritt-Johnson has shared his personal history to help motivate the students.

“I do it all the time,” he said. “I do it all the time because I want students to see that it is possible to obtain success, all you have to do is put forth your best effort and it can be done.”

Merritt-Johnson is dedicated to helping students in Rochester beyond the history books.