Kobe Bryant. Michael Strahan. Ludacris.

The three A-listers aren’t the celebrity headliners of another red-carpet event, but rather just a handful of stars featured in the new film "Say It Loud!" The 48-minute documentary is the directorial debut of Hackensack’s Jordan Coleman and uses the influence of celebrities to promote the universal and ever-important message of education.

Also remarkable for the hometown filmmaker, the 13-year-old seventh grader starred in and helped fund the project, too.

Acclaim isn’t new to the Hackensack teenager; Jordan has experienced a taste of his own celebrity, providing the voice of Tyrone the Moose in the Nickelodeon television show "The Backyardigans." But the fame hasn’t gone to his head — Jordan’s parents keep his feet on solid ground and have instilled in him such a sense of education and philanthropy that he behaves far beyond his years. 

Rather than let her son haphazardly spend his newfound earnings, Jordan's mother, Chrisena Coleman, challenged him to create something positive and give back to the community. Jordan used this as an opportunity to address the high school graduation rate among African-American males and while showing other students that education is the key for success. According to reports, approximately 50 percent of African-American males in America do not finish high school, a statistic that alarmed Jordan.

In December 2007, Jordan, younger brother Justin Hall-Coleman, and their mother formed Mama Don’t Play Productions, which specializes in educational and entertaining film and television programming for children. "Say It Loud!" is the first film from the production company.

Instead of making a movie that talks about the importance of education, Jordan took to the streets. With the help of his mother, Jordan interviewed some of the most prominent African-American males in the country.  

"I didn’t want to do the typical movie that might bore other kids my age, and I knew that having celebrities in the film would grab their attention and deliver the message better," Jordan said. "I still cannot believe that half of these people agreed to do this movie with me. They weren’t paid and took time away from their schedules – all for the important message of getting an education."

With each interviewee, the message was clear – stay in school and respect the importance of education. The Rev. Al Sharpton admitted in his interview that he dropped out of college, a decision he regrets today. Other interviewees include: Ludacris, Strahan, Master P, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Hurricane Chris, Jadakiss, Ben Wallace, Winky Wright, Yung Joc, Swiss Beatz, Busta Rhymes and Terrence J, among others. Parts of the movie were even filmed at Hackensack Middle School.

"I really could not get over the amount of cooperation and enthusiasm we received from the interviewees for this project," Coleman said. "When we reached out to some of them, we thought it was a long shot that they would say yes. It spoke a lot about them that they were so willing to be a part of this."

"Say It Loud!" already has gained national acclaim and was featured as part of AMC Theatres 2008 Summer Moviecamp with screenings in New York City, Washington D.C., Kansas City, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. Jordan also screened his film at 100 Black Men of America’s 2008 Conference in Orlando. 

It starts at home

Jordan’s young life has been filled with an enormous educational influence, stemming from his parents, Roosevelt Hall and Chrisena Coleman, whose families are deep-rooted in the Hackensack area. Hall is a successful real estate agent, and Coleman is an award-winning veteran reporter for the New York Daily News. As far back as Jordan can remember, his house was filled with strict rules, mandatory homework time, and yes – love.

Jordan, an honor roll student and all-season athlete, said his parents have made it clear to him that school comes before sports. But he has nothing but gratitude for his parents and their seemingly tough rules.

"I don’t mind because I know how important education is. I want to become a sports reporter one day and so many other kids need to realize that it’s OK to dream big and want to be an NFL player, but you also need to have a backup plan just in case it doesn’t work out. An education will give you that," Jordan said.

Before each "Say It Loud!" interview, Coleman made Jordan write essays on what he expected from each, and then she had him write about what actually happened. The essays translated into Jordan’s first book, which accompanies the film.

"At first, I just thought my mom was making me write all this for no reason. Now, I realize why she had me do that," Jordan said.

Jordan’s parents agree that Hackensack is the perfect setting for their children’s education.

"I’ve lived here my entire life and I love it. The school system is great and they were all so supportive of this project," Coleman said. "It’s such a diverse community to raise children in."

See It Live!

Free screenings of "Say It Loud!" are scheduled this month throughout Bergen County.

 Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.: Mt. Calvary Church, Englewood

 Sept. 13 2:30 to 4 p.m.: G’s Bookstore and Café, Teaneck

 Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.: Bergen Community College, Paramus

For information about the event at BCC, call Celeste Finney at 201-447-9249. A trailer of the film and more information is available at www.sayitloudfilm.com.