Big Rube’s Philly: Jamele Ransom, Crossing Guard and Then Some

By now, all people is aware of my buddy Jamele Ransom. He’s the Southwest Philly crossing guard who went viral on May 5, after he almost bought hit by a automobile, then rescued a toddler, and talked about what occurred on NBC10, whereas consuming a Mr. Softee.

We caught up on the final day of public faculty right here in Philly, a day loads just like the 81-degree one when Jamele turned a hero.

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        Listen to the interview version right here:

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He was sitting within the shade outdoors Mitchell Elementary at fifty fifth and Kingsessing, speaking to some college students. “The next thing you know, it’s like you can’t believe what you’re about to see, because you hear something — Bam! — and you see a car coming towards you, and you just don’t know what to do, besides just run,” he says. By the time he bobbed and weaved out of the best way, the automobile had crashed into the schoolyard.

“I want to call it an out-of-body experience, where I didn’t even think about myself anymore, I just thought about the kids, just trying to make sure nobody was hurt.” After he pulled a toddler out from below some crushed monkey bars, he “put myself back together, broke down, made the calls that I needed to call,” accepted a cone from the operator of a Mister Softee truck parked close by and agreed to do an interview on NBC10.

Before he knew it, that interview was racking up 15 million views, and Jimmy Kimmel was shouting Jamele out on his late night time present. “I don’t think I got back to myself right till next week,” he says.

Here’s the factor about Jamele. He was simply being himself. He loves children and has bought persona to spare — my Nan would name that “lightskin.” And he’s not only a crossing guard. I met him again after I was beginning my Streetgazing column for the Philadelphia Daily News and he had a classic store at seventh and Girard referred to as Culture Couture. Jamele was the primary individual I photographed for my column.

Jamele grew up in Southwest at fifty fifth and Kingsessing, “right where the accident happened,” he says. His mother, a multi-sport athlete at John Bartram High, was 17 when she had him, so he was raised by his nice aunt and uncle. His mother would go on to be a self-made businesswoman and artistic. He sees lots of his mother in himself.

“I picked up her artist ways. She was a photographer and a videographer as a young person, an entrepreneur as well,” he says. She was additionally somewhat bit like me. “She made cakes and cookies at all the state fairs that I can remember,” Jamele says. His first creative ardour: Fashion.

Way earlier than he was crossing children on their approach to and from Mitchell, he labored in gross sales at Neiman Marcus and developed his personal look. “I always had street style, sophisticated style. I call it ‘church style.’” He was the inspiration and stylist for Jidenna’s Classic Man music video.

Later, he shadowed me on my picture shoots for my line, LipHeelé and have become the visible director for Suitsupply — a transfer that his friends at Neiman’s doubted, however Jamele factors out, at present, “Saks and Neiman’s are on the brink of bankruptcy,” whereas Suitsupply’s nonetheless round.

This summer season he plans to get pleasure from Philly, and work on his therapy for an Abbott Elementary spinoff primarily based on “a vision that this needs to be highlighted outside of the school.” He’ll head again to his nook when faculty begins. “I love this city, and I love the kids. I love my job, so I’m gonna just go full throttle ahead.” That’s Jamele Ransom.

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West Philly born and raised with a slosh of Brooklyn, Big Rube partnered with Mitchell & Ness in 2000 to assist make it a worldwide model advertising and promoting high-end throwback jerseys. He has been photographing Philly since 2009, together with in a Daily News Column from 2011 to 2017. He’s additionally a chef, making ready to open his personal area in 2026.

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Mitchell Elementary crossing guard Jamele Ransom on May 5, 2026. Photo by NBC10.