Tag: black men

[caption id="attachment_242715" align="aligncenter" width="493"] (Brian Ellison, Marlon Hall and Anthony Suber)[/caption]

An Interactive Conversation Focused on Black Men and Vulnerability Kicks off National Tour

Last month, filmmaker Brian Ellison, anthropologist Marlon Hall, and sculptor Anthony Suber launched a series of conversations focused on the black male experience in contemporary society called "The Black Man Project." Curated by Hall, the dinner series features a moving sculpture created by Suber with conversation centered around a documentary directed by Ellison, UnMASKulinity, debuting next year. The next discussion will take place on October 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the Google Seattle Office. After a day spent in each community shooting for the film, the organizers host a confluence of 16 men from a variety of backgrounds in a recorded environment of listening and learning. Travis McPhail, the Engineering Lead for Maps SDK at Google, is working alongside the group to help identify men to participate in the discussion. "An event like this will help a subset of people build connections and then go out and discuss what is shared here with other people," said McPhail. "I'm hoping we can create a space for others that did not exist for me 10 years ago in tech. We are providing a space where others can accelerate their path so they can be themselves and shine." The group, along with other experts in the arts and education, will create a curriculum to accompany the dinner series aiming to empower communities to continue the conversation long after the dinner is over. According to Mental Health America, Black men are particularly conscious of stigma when it comes to seeking help from an expert such as a psychologist. "We have to be willing to be vulnerable in order to be whole. However, this cannot happen if the structure that black men can relate to most doesn't exist," said Hall. "Gathering around the table–be it dinner with family, cards with your friends, or out on the town with friends–is something that is all-too-familiar within the black community. We hope it feels like home." The tour dates are as follows:

• Seattle, Washington- Oct 25th
• New York, New York- Nov 9th
• Atlanta, Georgia- Nov 16th
• Los Angeles, CA- Dec 2019
• Nashville,Tennessee- Jan 27th
• Houston, Texas- Feb 2020

The events are hosted by The Black Man Project and funded in part by grants from the John Steven Kellet Foundation and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

Digital and Radio Facts: Being a black man is dangerous to your Being... a black man is dangerous to your Being...It is really...

Digital and Radio Facts: Radio Facts: President Obama launches a new effort aimed at empowering boys and young men of color, a segment...

Digital and Radio Facts: Radio Facts: President Obama launches a new effort aimed at empowering boys and young men of color, a segment...

...

...

There have been many stories across the web about how unjust Macklemore's win over Kendrick Lamar was during the Grammy telecast recently but few if any looked at it from a political angle and it is been discussed in industry circles. Was the win a result of black hip hop music's mass homophobia?  Black men especially in hip hop music are viewed as vehemently homophobic and which rapper, if any, would have done a song like Same Love and allowed straight and gay couples to marry while they performed it on the Grammys? Can you think of anyone?  Maybe Kanye West but there would have been a huge backlash from the hip hop music community. Your thoughts? Comment below.

Digital and Radio Facts: Can a Black Man Be Responsible for His Children?Black Gay Fathers Attacked by Black Social Media FollowersThis post and...

Can a Black Man Be Responsible for His Children?

Black Gay Fathers Attacked by Black Social Media Followers

This post and picture has gotten hateful responses from twitter after it went viral this past week. The picture depicts a popular social media black gay couple Kordale and Kaleb who are raising 3 children along with the mother. The outrage mostly appearing to be from black men was vicious and white blogs like Queerty where the post originated reported from their perspective that comments like 'Finally a BLACK gay couple' and 'Well it's good to see BLACK men taking responsibility for Black children' as "negative." There is truth that the depiction of gay male couples in the media are often interracial when major black celebrities come out and it appears that the white community is much more accepting. Concerning the outrage is it possible that the black community can palate then dismiss interracial couples better by viewing the black man as a traitor but seeing two black gay men in a relationship as undeniable and deemed too much reality?  The interesting thing about the responses that we will never know is how many of the black men who posted the negative comments have a relationship and are raising their own children. In addition how much of the hatred comes from jealousy and envy from those who are unable to sustain any kind of loving relationship or from conservative religious black people. The bottom line is we all deserve to have our opinion but we are not free from hypocrisy in the process. Has the black community become so accustomed to black children being fatherless that we would prefer to see our children grow up fatherless as well or  worse yet caught up in the system of abusive foster homes. Some may ask what's wrong with raising children to be progressive thinkers in the ever-changing world. Are the hateful responses from the black community the reason many black men remain closeted and where the birth of DL culture begins which the Black community also despises? Can we really have it both ways or simply live and let live?  If heterosexual couples raise gay children (and it happens all the time) then why can't gay couples raise heterosexual children?

Black Straight Father Attacked by White Social Media Followers

Ironically,  a Los Angeles heterosexual man, Doyin Richards, posted a pic of himself doing his daughter's hair in the mirror and he was also viciously attacked this time by mostly white people on social media with comments like. 'I would bet anything that you're a deadbeat dad,'  and 'Cute picture. Now why don't you hand the children back to their mom so you can go back to selling drugs or your bootleg rap CDs?'To add another level or irony the target in Doyin's case (black men who refuse to take responsibility for their children in any way) are also the ones (by the negative responses) who targeted Kodale and Kaleb.   Children deserve to have two parents and they deserve to be loved and cared for right?  Well if that's the case then how is it that the oppressed turns around and becomes the oppressor without rectifying his own responsibilities to his children first?  What's the problem, what's the fear and why the outrage? 

Can a black man be a father to his children AT ALL? The couple Kordell and Kaleb posted a response to the hatred to HuffPost Gay voices that read...

As far as the positive; yes we are two gay men with three kids who have no problem with preparing them for their education every morning; that comes with anything and everything they may need for school! Our kids are blessed to have three parents (Kordale, Kaleb and their Mother) who love, care and support them in every decision they have made and will continue to make as they get older. We are blessed to have the ability to provide for them in ways that a lot of people cannot for their family, which ultimately makes us happy knowing that they don't want for much! Our main objective as parents is to provide, love, educate, support, encourage, and love some more!In regard to the negative, people fail to realize that we are people too with kids who love us. We do what is necessary for them to succeed in this ever-changing world but it's sad that we're discriminated against because of our sexuality and/or what we do behind closed doors -- which is no one's business. In the same breath, we take all of what's been said in stride. The picture was put out on social media for an opinion so we can't be mad when people give just that: an opinion. People tend to think that gay people cannot raise their children to be heterosexuals. Instead, they have derogatory thoughts of us "tainting" our children or "confusing them" with what society sees deems as wrong an unmanly because we're gay. But this is all comical because people forget where a lot of gays come from: a heterosexual household.This is another prime example of where we are as a nation in 2014 -- continuous discrimination against gays. Being gay is the new normal for a lot of people and judgement isn't needed, just equality! We may be gay but this does not mean we are incapable of what a heterosexual couple is capable of! Us gays are just as educated and passionate about what we do and how we do it!

Follow KordalenKalib on Instragram

...that could easily be the question white people could ask and legitimately at that. Many of us will shrug it off like it's not me or my kids but it IS our community. Sneakers? REALLY? How do we defend our community when the naysayers as in conservatives, republicans and racists use this as an example for how out of control our community is? Priorities? Do we have any?  This has got to be the most embarrassing most humiliating thing to watch for black people.  Fighting for some damn sneakers? Can you imagine if the black community fought like this for fair and equal treatment at the corporations that we work for, education, safe communities, black men taking responsibility for their children, drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness? We can only dream....in the meantime, watch the nightmare on video.

Digital and Radio Facts: Radio Facts: "A 23-year-old woman has been charged by St. Louis prosecutors with lying about being attacked by three...

...

Digital and Radio Facts: If you are over 4o CONGRATULATIONS. For those of us who have made it this far especially to middle...