Why Do Brothers Need To Exhale?
Negative media images, misleading stats, and angry Black women will be the focus of a Father's Day weekend gathering of men
Are African-American men in need of a good, old-fashioned exhale?
A recent spate of films and books suggests that they think so, that brothers are sick and tired of all the negativity being aimed their way, including from Black women. They're taking aim at unflattering media stereotypes, misinformation about their status in society, and even the attitudes of some sisters.
Now a series of events is pulling together a few of the more prominent efforts under one banner. The Father's Day Weekend Male Exhale will be held on June 13, at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, MD and on June 15 at Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln Theatre. Organized by the Urban Film Series, the programs each include screenings of Tim Alexander's Diary of a Tired Black Man and Janks Morton's What Black Men Think; an appearance by Jewel Woods, author (with Karen Hunter) of Don't Blame It On Rio: The Real Deal Behind Why Men Go To Brazil for Sex (Grand Central Publishing, $23.99), and a panel discussion with all three men, and others.
"One of the goals is to be able to get men together so they can start being able to move collectively on things that speak to them and their interests," explains Corey "CJ" Jennings, a lawyer who is founder of Urban Film Series. "Ideally, the 'exhale' will use entertainment to really put something out in front of people; touching on some things that they've experienced within their relationships and families; and giving them a chance to 'handle' those issues [by proxy of the characters on the screen]. Maybe it will give them something to reflect on and talk about without having to shed blood, sweat, and tears--without fighting each other."
What Black Men Think is an earnestly passionate documentary that takes an in-depth look at how myths, stereotypes, and misrepresentations damage Black men's stature within their communities, families, and society. Oft-quoted, but inaccurate statistics, such as "there are more Black men 18-24 in jail than there are in college," are among the most insidious culprits, according to the film. (Actually, the original Justice Policy Institute statistic, which said that more Black men were behind bars in 2000 (791,000) than were enrolled in colleges and universities (603,032), included men of all ages who were incarcerated. The number of Black men 18-24 who are in college is actually two and a half times the number of those who are incarcerated. ) "Those figures present an impression that is negative and counterproductive, and renders an impression that a Black man is useless to his community," says Jennings.
Don't Blame It On Rio explores the reasons why more and more professional African-American men are partaking of the sex tourism trade in Brazil. Based on interviews with Black men throughout the country, it reveals why they choose to travel overseas to live a lifestyle that they feel is denied them in America by White society and Black women. Some of those interviewed expresseed negative attitudes toward Black women, but Woods, who has spent decades working to promote positive opportunities for young men and to end violence against women, is not an apologist. He does delve into why so many brothers feel the need to escape…well…us. (Why we may need to escape too is another story for another day)
Which brings us to the lightning rod film, Diary of A Tired Black Man. With the tagline, "Now it's Black men's turn to exhale," the film tells, in a series of provocative vignettes, the story of a successful Black man whose relationships with Black women are plagued by anger and strife. Filmmaker Tim Alexander attempts to shed light on the state of Black male-female relationships by alternating the vignettes with man-in-the street interview segments showing reactions by real people who have viewed them. A great device; however, the women in his vignettes are caricatures, speaking to the self-righteous hero with over-the-top, neck-rolling, man-hating venom. The real women who react to the vignettes appear to be cherry-picked for their castrating, "Black men are no good," commentary.
Jennings, who hopes to get nearly 3,000 people out to the two events, fully admits that Diary of A Tired Black Man was included in the program to get bodies into seats. "Everyone knows that the sister [ex-wife of the main character] who's in there is portrayed from more of an extreme perspective," he says, but the portrayal is getting people talking. "Everyone wants to see this thing. It's hot. It's really good."
Yes, all that button-pushing is good for business. Women are definitely welcome to the events, says Jennings. In fact, men are more likely to come out for an event like this if sisters are somehow engaged--even if it's due to outrage. "As we market our programs, we know that our target always has to be women, even if it's something for men, it has to be something women will really be interested in, because then men will move…If it wasn't for machismo, everything would be centered on women."
Really? Well, whether or not you believe that, if you to find out what brothers feel they need to get off their chests--or perhaps you want to recommend an exhale for one of the men in your life--go to the Urban Film Series Web site for more information about the Male Exhale. Tickets range from $18.50 to $27.50, and can be purchased at the theater box offices, or at TicketMaster.com and Ticket Master locations.
--Sheryl Huggins Salomon is editor-in-chief of NiaOnline
Do Black men really have cause to exhale? Should Black women go easier on them, and be more understanding of what they go through? Have you seen the films or read the book described in this article? Share your thoughts with us at editorial@niaenterprises.com (please include your name and city), and we may print them in next week's NiaOnline newsletter.
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