Morgan showcases a wide swath of individuals close to the heart of Educare, from its young teachers to the advocates and administrators that have fought to keep the organization growing and expanding even now that the Robert Taylor Homes are no more. Even amongst all those inspiring personalities, though, an older teacher named Jackie Robinson stands out. She raised her own family in the projects before coming to Educare in its early days, and she was there when little Jamal, Jalen, and Crystal were students of the program. Robinson’s a central figure in the film, and rightly so; she projects so much kindness, warmth, and commitment in her interactions with kids, as well as in her interview segments, that you just want to reach through the screen and give her a hug. She is a ray of light, and, like the more famous person with whom she shares a name, she seems the very best kind of role model for children dreaming of rising above their circumstances.
As a film, Tomorrow’s Hope displays the level of polish and professionalism that might be expected from its multiple award-winning behind-the-scenes talent. It does, however, sometimes feel more like a promotional video for Educare and its parent foundation than it does a purely journalistic piece. Nevertheless, the film is very efficiently put together, though it’s perhaps a little slicker than it needs to be. It’s hard to really hold that against the filmmakers, though, as this still manages to be genuinely uplifting and inspiring in ways that even “feel-good” fictional stories can’t often achieve.
“…genuinely uplifting and inspiring…”
There’s compelling drama in the well-wrought contrasts between the harshness and hopelessness of lower-income living in Chicago and the benevolent ambitions of Educare. The footage of former students reuniting with their teachers and looking on proudly at the next generation of kids pulls at the heartstrings. And – this might have made for an entire film by itself – a standout segment chronicles the city of Chicago’s half-realized plan in the early 2000s to raze the Robert Taylor Homes and rebuild affordable housing in the neighborhood, which threatened the stability and future of Educare. It’s only through the struggles of people like Robinson, stirringly recalled in the film, that the program survives to this day.
Tomorrow’s Hope bears the subtitle “The Promise of Early Childhood Education,” suggesting that what has positively impacted so many young lives in Chicago can – and should – be adopted in communities across the U.S. The film, and everyone in it, supports that idea exceptionally well.
Tomorrow’s Hope screened at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival.
"…should be adopted in communities across the U.S."
