El-Mekki is answering his own ânation buildingâ call. In May, he announced that after 11 years as Shoemakerâs principal and 26 years of being inside schools as a teacher or administrator, he was devoting his full attention and time to launching a new Center for Black Educator Development to help address the urgent need to bring more Black educators into Philadelphiaâs classrooms and across the nation. âIf Iâm going to be serious about trying to change the lives of Black educators and hence the lives of Black children, then it just canât be my night and weekend job,â he said.