Oakland's first African American Superintendent was Dr. Marcus Foster, who was also the first black man to head a major U.S. school district. Born in Athens, Georgia, Dr. Foster arrived in Oakland in 1970, “already a celebrated and proven educator”. Dr. Foster viewed the three Rs and critical thinking as the building blocks of education. He also emphasized the need for art programs, team sports, and school activities that reflected the life circumstances of the students. In the short time he was in Oakland, Dr. Foster created a climate that gave life to a number of firsts: the Arts Magnet School, Far West School, Street Academy, Montera Film Festival (now the National Educational Film Festival), and the Oakland Education Institute (now the Marcus Foster Education Institute). Dr. Foster was murdered by the Symbionese Liberation Army in November, 1973.