There was a time as a young child when I was completely unaware of my dark complexion, my nose, my kinky hair- my blackness. As I got older, I started to take notice of myself, unfortunately in the wrong ways. All of a sudden, I started to believe the lies and stereotypes that were projected on me by society, and the ones I conjured up.
I believe for a lot of black boys, the transition from boyhood, to manhood can be quite difficult. In my adult life I have thankfully been fortunate to relearn the way in which I view myself.
But we, as individuals are not truly free until we are all free. One day I walked in on my younger cousins watching a black man being slain on T.V. As the clip rolled, I asked them how the clip made them feel. They all responded and said, “scared.”
Right then, I knew I had to lend my voice and story, as an aid to help young black men and others find peace within, and extend my hand to help close the gap between ignorance and understanding.
- Jonathan A. Lewis / Director & Writer