On Saturday, June 15th from 2pm – 4pm at Hadley Park Community Center, The Black Male Archives invite men of all walks to come share their stories with their children and their Fathers about being a Black man in America with positive motivation. Rodney Freeman started The Black Male Archives to show the many characteristics, professions and perspectives of Black Men across the world and to curate their journey and promote a positive narrative.
“I don’t know any other race or gender that is hated more than Black men,” says Rodney E. Freeman Jr., founder of The Black Male Archives. “In my short time on Earth, I have seen over and over again how negatively we are portrayed on television, in movies, and in politics. The hits keep coming. Growing up, the negative ways we are portrayed is not what I experienced. I lived in many different neighborhoods and environments, and yes, some were better than others, but for the majority of my life, I’ve seen positive Black men and more importantly positive Black Fathers stepping up to take care of their children and responsibilities. I’ve noticed many times throughout my life, and more increasingly over the past several years, that many people of different races are afraid of my skin tone. This is my perception, but I don’t say they are afraid of me because they don’t even know me. They are scared of what they have heard about Black men on TV and the radio, especially in the news.”
Saturday’s event is designed to help Black men come together in an effort to help change the narrative.
“I know how to change this made up perception that doesn’t exist. It starts by having an Archive. You might think I’m crazy, but an Archive is very powerful! Archives can be used to share information, or they can be used to hide information. Information is key! Telling the whole truth about Black Men will not only change the narrative but will show the world our real story! We are not all criminals, drug dealers, on welfare. We are so much more then what is told out us in the media! I believe that is the real reason why we are so hated and feared. It’s not because of our skin tone; it’s not because we are perceived as bad people. It’s because of our power!
”It’s because it only takes a few of us to change a narrative. It’s because of the story that they wrote for us. That narrative is fragile at best. Only if we knew that to change their narrative, we need to control and believe in our narrative. We need to teach young men of color how we used to be Kings and how we are still KINGS! This is why the world needs The Black Male Archives to show the world we are more than what they created for us and we are going to start to change that narrative.”
