Negative images of black men are easy enough to find in American culture, the kinds of images that label them as “thugs” or criminals. But a new web series called black brilliance 360, which launched this week, is out to flip the narrative on who black men are and what they're really about.
Produced by media veteran Tamisha H. Harris and legal analyst Charles F. Coleman Jr. (a contributor to The Root), black brilliance 360 offers a platform for black men to tell their stories of what it means to be a black man living in America. Each episode features a cross-generational group of black men from a wide range of backgrounds engaging in conversations around various topics like commitment and relationships (episode 1) and identity and manhood. It’s the kind of real talk that black men have in private, safe spaces like the local barbershop.
“My hope is that it will spark greater conversation through insight and understanding. It may not always be pretty, but we want it to be authentic and honest,” said Coleman, who is host of the show.
Coleman says that the plan is to drop a new episode every three weeks, but in between shows, extra content like outtakes and interviews with contributors, along with Twitter chats, will keep the conversations started by the webisodes going.
“I want black brilliance to become an attainable and inclusive ideal that isn't just reserved for doctors or lawyers but can be expressed by different individuals in their own way and still recognized as brilliant in its uniqueness,” Coleman said.
You can subscribe to the show’s YouTube channel; follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; and check out the series teaser: