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We asked participants what they want the world to know about who they are as a human being and as a Black man. Click on the portraits below to get to know their stories.
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When people look at me, they assume I am a product of my environment, taking part in the violent acts happening in my community. When in reality, I am a hard worker and a positive person. I always set goals for myself. I dream big. I work hard to live a nice life and strive to experience a better lifestyle. The pain of having my brother and my sister murdered forever changed my life. It disrupted my education and my plans for college. I know violence is not the answer and it was hard losing people close to me. That pain motivates me to experience more than Baltimore.
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When people look at me, they assume that my past is what defines me. When in reality, I have a lot of perseverance. Looking at how far I’ve come, I believe you can still make it through your situations as a Black man despite how hard life may seem, and how hard society may make it. I find joy in the journey of getting to know myself.
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When people look at me, they assume I am not a good father. When in reality, I’m a great father. I’m the oldest of eight kids and I have a soon to be 15 year old. I didn’t ever think I was gonna have the opportunity to have kids. People should judge me off my actions and judge off my words, don’t assume. Don’t make assumptions about me or my race for that matter. You would probably be wrong.
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When people look at me, they assume that I am mean and I am a criminal taking part in the violence in Baltimore. When in reality, I am not violent. So many people in my circle are dying, I am starting to become numb to it. I am a family man and a proud father. I take care of my family. I am funny and goofy. Don’t judge me.
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When people look at me, they assume I am a bad kid and I’m mean. When in reality, that’s not me at all. People mistake my thinking face for my mean face. I love to draw and hope to become an architect. I have goals of getting my GED and driver’s license. I’m proud of myself for working on that every day for the past two months at YO! I have been mistaken for a thief before and treated worse than the person who was eventually caught. When this happened, I felt scared because I thought the cops would kill me. I also felt disappointed because I did nothing wrong and I was treated so badly by the police. Please don’t judge me.
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When people look at me, they assume I’m someone who will cause a lot of problems. When in reality, I am a good man. I do my best to stay good and I don’t get into trouble. Everyday is the same thing and I thank the Lord I am still here.
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When people look at me, they assume I am a
criminal for a crime I was falsely accused and convicted of but I didn’t commit. When in reality, I am like many other Black men–I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. I am a caring, loving person. I love everybody. This is the way I am. I care about anyone’s well being. I am friendly and don’t want to be a product of the system of injustice. I am not a product of my environment or past situations.
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When people look at me, they assume I’m incapable of doing better than my past. When in reality, I am moving toward pursuing licensure to continue to help people. I am capable of doing anything no matter the hand I was dealt. You can overcome any obstacle as long as you keep the faith in the power greater than yourself.
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When people look at me, they assume they can implement my ideas to improve the lives of Black boys and men in this city without including me in the effort. I’ve been saying for years that our young boys need counseling to address the trauma on top of traumas they have experienced from an early age. I have watched past and present city leadership try to rollout my ideas without me and it hasn’t been effective. Over my life, I have started a center for men and families to help connect them to care and equip them with skills to navigate the healthcare system. This is important to me because coming up in East Baltimore, not too many people had access to health insurance. Over the years, I have been offered opportunities elsewhere, but I am committed to improving the lives of Black men and families right here in Baltimore.
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When people look at me, they assume I am
standoffish and unapproachable. When in reality, I am a proud Black man who is not afraid to use his voice to lead or advocate for others and myself. I am very skilled, ambitious, and well-rounded, but I am also very flawed. However, I embrace my flaws because they are what make me so skilled since I am open to knowing what I need improvement on, thus making me well-rounded.
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When people look at me, they assume I am just into sports and there is not much more to me. When in reality, I am a clinical therapist who works to heal individuals that look like me. Additionally, I love cycling, playing spades, and coaching sports. I am a human and have hobbies and interest just like you.
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When people look at me, they assume they can take me for granted. When in reality, I will never accept being mistreated or misused. I don’t deserve this. I am a very loving person. I thank the Lord I’m still here. I want people to know I love sports. I’m a sports minded person. I also love doing things for people, but I’d hate for people to do unfair things to me. I’d rather they tell me the truth or nothing at all.
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When people look at me, they assume things, but their opinion doesn’t matter. What matters is who I know I am. Everyone calls me “King” and that calls me higher. We all have struggles and they will either make or break you. I was incarcerated at the age of 17 and I’m just getting home. When I was younger, I didn’t see and value the things that matter most: Family, making a contribution to society, and staying out of trouble. I’m really proud of how much I have matured and how much my understanding has deepened. Everyone needs someone in their corner, rooting for them. That’s prevention.
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When people look at me, they assume I’m not trying. I had my struggles and a lot of doubt, but I’m gonna show up tomorrow because I’m going to keep trying. I am a good man even with the struggles I had. I come from a good family. I love my children and grandchildren. They bring me joy and give me hope. I have had long periods of employment, I am dependable and I believe in myself even when others don’t. All I need is a chance. When given the opportunity, I make the most of it.
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When people look at me, they assume that I’m a playboy. When in reality, I am ultimately about change and not becoming a product of my environment. Instead, I let my environment become a product of myself.
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