At Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles, senior Marquis Andrews (pictured above) says he is struggling to focus and wishes he could drop out like his friends.

Indeed, nearly half of all black males won’t graduate from high school, according to a recent report from the Schott Foundation for Public Education.

Crenshaw High School seniors Gregory Michael Williams and Torreon Johnson interviewed staff and students about students’ attitudes toward school as a part of a Social Justice and the Law Academy at the school in South Los Angeles.

Students and teachers seem to agree; while the situation is far from ideal, strong determination can, and will triumph.