Dunbar Vocational Career Academy just loves Jennifer Hudson.
Pictures of the “American Idol” contestant, including a 1999 graduation picture of her in a yellow gown with a mortarboard clasped to her chest, hang on the door and a hallway bulletin board. T-shirts with her image are on sale for $10 in the school office. A sign on the Chicago school’s front lawn flashes good luck messages and reminders to watch the Fox show on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
The South Side school is so proud of 22-year-old Hudson–and is pulling for her to win–that they’ve even given her a room in the building. There, student-made posters wishing “Good Luck” and “God Bless” and declaring “It’s a Dunbar Thang” are on display, along with videos of Hudson singing as a student at Dunbar.
“They call it a ‘mini-museum,’ ” said Barbara Hall, the school’s principal. “We call it the ‘Jennifer Hudson’ headquarters.”
Hudson made a stop at the school in February, right before the wild card picks were announced for the show. (Hudson made it back thanks to Randy Jackson.) The hometown show of support almost brought her to tears, Hall said.
“She was so shocked, she was speechless,” Hall said.
Hudson got up on a chair and signed a big Jennifer banner with, “Thank-u all for your love and support. From: Jennifer Hudson, Mighty Woman–Idol 1.”
The mini-museum will likely stay open after the show is over, and Hudson may donate some items from her “Idol” experience to the school, including a pink outfit that drew harsh criticism from judge Simon Cowell, Hall said.
About 300 people have bought the school’s Jennifer Hudson T-shirts. Students, teachers and staff wear them on Tuesdays, because that’s the day Hudson competes on the show.
The school is holding up Hudson as a role model to its 1,600 students, an example of how far you can go with hard work and a good attitude.
Talent helps too. Hudson’s gift was apparent back in high school, when she’d stand up at school assemblies, close her eyes and belt out a song, Hall said.
“We knew she had it. We just didn’t know how far she’d go with it,” Hall said.
