High school principal and councilman takes Walmart job to help low income kids

Did you know Dr. Anthony Fauci is THE highest paid federal official in the land, with a reported salary of $417,000 per year? Did you know about half of the members of Congress are millionaires. And their overall job approval rating is less than 20 percent.

Sooooo…it’s really nice to hear about an elected official who is truly selflessly serving his community.

By day, Charleston county councilman Harry Darby has a full-time job as principal of North Charleston High School – that’s on top of his duties as county councilman.

But three nights of the week, Darby stocks shelves at a local Walmart from 10 pm to 7 am. He took the job last August not because he needed the additional income, but because he wanted to help low-income students and their families pay the bills.

According to the South Caroline Department of Education data, nearly 90 percent of North Charleston High students live in poverty.

As of mid-December last year, Darby had donated $2,500 to students and families, or about half of his earnings from Walmart. After his taxes are due, he’ll contribute the rest.

As a child, Darby visited elderly living communities with his mother. At just six years old, he learned how to comb and braid residents’ hair.

“Because of my work ethic, this is nothing new to me,” Darby said. “This is just a part of my lifestyle.”

Ever since he was a teenager, Darby has worked three or four jobs. When he started out as a teacher, Darby worked several odd jobs, including at the airport and a glass factory.

He became the principal at North Charleston High in 2017, and has been a county councilman since 2004.

Darby says part of the reason he gives back to his community is because of the people who helped him throughout his life as he was growing up.

His father died when Darby was 3 years old. Members of his church community pooled their money to purchase him a suit.

Darby’s aunt, uncle and cousins were there to help him at 17, when his mother passed.

“I can say that people really helped me to get to where I am today,” he said.

“I wish that those of us who are born of poverty and we had to struggle and we made it to at least the lower middle class, that we will look back to help others.”

After the local newspaper covered his story, fellow citizens created a GoFundMe to repay him not only for his gesture but also for being an amazing principal.

“Our goal is to raise $20,000 by the end of the month, so that the Charleston community could present a check to Darby during an upcoming event he’s attending on Jan. 30, 2021,” according to the fundraising page.

In just three days, $43,000 had been raised by more than 700 donors.

“His heart is so big. This is his community. He’s grown up here, he still lives here. These kids are like his kids,” said Elizabeth Bowens, the school’s parent advocate administrator.

And his example has encouraged others to do what they can to help out. One educator repairs students’ bikes for free so they can make it to school or work on time.

“Being the principal at North Charleston High School, it’s not a job to Henry. It’s a calling,” said Trevor Strawderman, a colleague in the education community.

“He’s the epitome of service before self.”

And for that, we give him an approval rating of 100 percent.