"BEWARE of THE BLACK MAN," says the media
I agree, BEWARE....
of the rising number of black men earning advanced degrees,
becoming leaders in their fields and giving back to their communities.
Unfortunately in today's climate, watching the news you'd think the only thing black men are capable of are being sperm donors, thugs and jail birds - which is why I refuse to watch the news and would much rather report my own. This depiction couldn't be further from the truth. What I despise is that these news stations tend to focus on very specific sectors of our communities (most often inner city or areas that foster low income families plagued by poverty) and hone in on criminal incidences so much so - that it appears that's all that blacks are capable of.
I had a reality check when I studied abroad in Costa Rica my junior year of college. I had a Tico (Costa Rican man) ask me at a bus stop "De Donde Eras?" (Where are you from?) I replied back proudly, "Soy de Estados Unidos" (I'm from the United States). He looked at me dumbfounded. He continued to probe and suggested I couldn't possibly be from the United States because black people aren't "from" there. This man had never visited but believed he knew about the States from the movies he watched at the theaters and television shows he enjoyed in the comfort of his home. I chuckled a bit, because he was right. If all he saw were major movies like Bond and television shows like "Friends," I couldn't blame him for thinking black people didn't exist in America, because at that time in 2006 we weren't represented much on the big screen.
Another way to think about this, if I were white and grew up in an all white neighborhood, went to an all white school and all my friends were white, and all I knew about black people was what I saw on tv, what would I think? Scary thought, right? What's even more scary is that this is the reality for thousands of Americans! I believe this is the biggest culprit of racism, pure ignorance, and I mean this in it's truest form.
The definition of ignorance, according to dictionary.com is "lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact." So where am I going with this? This post is to give you a very, very small glimpse, into the black community that is very rarely publicized. Yes, we have one month out of twelve that highlights the same famous black people over and over and over again! But there are so many others that continue to raise the bar, right now in the present, and I'm going to shout them out as loudly as I can. This post is dedicated to the black men that have had all odds and bets placed against them starting from birth but have still managed to be extraordinary in their endeavors!
What makes me most proud to highlight them are that these are men I know. Men I lived next door to, sat in class with or met by accident lol. The point being, they are real and they exist and everyone should be aware that there are many more like them!
Joseph T. Bonivel Jr., Ph.D
A friend of mine that I met while studying at the University of South Carolina - Columbia was recently featured in an article for "BE Modern Man: Meet The Researcher Joseph T. Bonivel Jr., Ph.D." Let's talk about impressive - this man is only 32 years old and he holds a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Biomechanical Engineering from USC and a Doctorate in Mechanical and Materials Engineering Science from the Univ. of South Florida. He is currently a Senior Research Engineer in the Defense and Space industry.
Joe believes strongly in the importance of giving back through mentoring and is one of the board of directors for ManyMentors, a nonprofit encouraging minorities and women's interest in pursuing science, math, technology and engineering.
Archange Antoine, M.A
I randomly bumped into Archange on the USC campus back in 2005 and despite the fact he didn't even attend the University he actually saved me from being hit on by an intoxicated party-goer! As I sit back and reminisce it seems Archange has always had it in him to help, support and encourage others. He was a great friend and spiritual mentor to me, so it didn't surprise me at all when I found out he was recently elected as President of the Roselle Board of Education!
Archange earned a Bachelor degree in Law & Justice studies from Rowan University and a Master of Arts in Corporate and Public Communication. He's also a Black Caucus Chairman for the New Jersey Young Democrats and on the Rowan University Alumni Board of Directors. His passion for people, politics and policy has been evident in his pursuit to represent the Roselle Public School District at the highest level. His mission is to improve the quality of life for low income and middle class people through the promotion of education and academic excellence. Archange's main objective is to be an example and help cultivate the next generation of leaders for the state of New Jersey. Learn more about his initiatives and what he's doing to give back to the community here and be sure to "Like" his page and show support.
Austin Brown
It's only right that I mention Austin Brown being that the NBA draft is right around the corner! Austin and I attended Evanston Township High School (which produced some of the best and brightest I might add) and we both participated on the school's varsity basketball programs. Austin went on to play ball at DePauw University and as a senior was a first team all-Southern Collegiate selection. He took his game off the court after graduating and into the agent realm, as an agent with CAA sports.
Austin was recently listed among Forbes magazine's "30 under 30: The Sports World's Brightest Young Stars." He earned that spotlight by representing 3 top - 40 NBA draft picks. According to DePauw news, "In 2014 Brown was responsible for signing two top - 40 NBA draft picks, Michigan State's Garry Harris and Michigan's Glenn Robinson III. In 2013, Austin signed No. 9 overall selection Trey Burke, who went on to earn NBA All-Rookie first team and finished third in rookie of the year voting." Austin is a great example for the young guys aspiring to become professional athletes. We all know it's extremely competitive to make it that far but there's so much more that former athletes can do beyond actually playing on the court. If they have a good education in their back pocket the opportunities are endless!
James Hunter, MBA, MPA
Speaking of education, it is so crucial for us and even more important to recognize those that strive for academic excellence, because it's not easy and definitely not a cheap endeavor! We all know we have to work twice as hard to simply get on the same level as some of our sisters and brothers from another mother so we should give credit when credit is due, even when it's not requested. I've known James since elementary school and he's always been an overachiever. No, really his academic ambitions are evident in his accomplishments. James is currently a Commodity Manager for Airport Services Procurement at American Airlines.
James graduated from the Univ. of Illinois - Urbana Champaign with a Bachelor's Degree in Aviation, Human Factors and provided flight instruction at the university in compliance with FAA regulations. James then went on to graduate from Kennesaw State University with a 4.0 MPA GPA, earning his Master's Degree in Public Administration. However, that wasn't enough for Mr. Hunter, he also earned an M.B.A in Operations Management and Supervision and was a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society.
It's important we share the accomplishments of our brothers and show those coming up that we are better than what is portrayed on t.v. Our black men are scattered throughout the United States and are doing amazing things across the nation to add value to our society. We have to take it upon ourselves to promote and uplift each other because if we don't no one else will. If you know other's that deserve a shout out please don't hesitate to send me their info and I will surely provide them with the exposure they deserve.
Email me: kesia.king@gmail.com
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