Less Of A Man

The crew perform their weekly Mental check-in and cover topics from the week

the crew opens up about their upbringing and experiences with discipline. Darrell provides insight on the challenges of being a step-parent. The cast sheds light on discipline styles and the significance of a two parent household. As parenting continues to evolve generation to generation, the mans role in parenting must also change. Each cast member describes their “ideal” approach to parenting and what they would like to see change to improve outcomes in the Black community.

“Man Card” The Crew tackles the “Conspiracy Theory” surrounding social engineering, the emasculation of the Black man, social deviance, and how to get your man card revoked.

“Social Norms”  The Crew defines “traditional masculinity”, discusses the challenges of cultural stigmas, and the evolution of gender roles.

“Early Socialization” The Crew discusses adolescent male influence on gender identity and expression, the childhood “sex talk”, and etiquette.

With the belief that there is an agenda to de-masculine the black man, the crew discusses their thoughts on toxic masculinity. Darrell shares insight on his relationship with his step-father, his belief of a “traditional” household and him not wanting be a meme. The crew also shares how they viewed masculinity at a young age and how their views have changed as they haven’t gotten older.

With the recent civil unrest from the shooting of Jacob Blake, the Less of a Man crew, sits down to discuss the deteriorating relationship between Black America and Law Enforcement.  Less of a Man crew member Rawdon Lorde discuss the difficulty of maneuvering the lanes of policing while black, he gives his perspective from both sides of the lane. The crew also give their perspective on defunding the police, and what they believe police reform would look like in their eyes. They also discuss what steps can be taken to improve law enforcement relationship with the Black community.

The emotional stoicism of Black men is seldom a discussion but the truth is men have issues with vulnerability and difficulty expressing their feelings. Black men are over-sexualized, hardly regarded as intellectual beings and not associated with emotional intelligence.The absence of safe spaces to express openly their feelings and a culture of shaming has isolated the Black men influencing their emotional volatility and how they relate to others. The Less Of A Man crew discusses the challenges of mental health, experiences with therapy, and tackling emotions.

In 2020, the Coronavirus swept the nation killing thousands of Americans, stifling businesses and the slowing economy. Many local governments mandated temporary shelter in place orders leaving individuals and families in isolation. After months of social distancing, the Less of a Man Crew comes together to discuss COVID-19, the country’s national and local responses to the Corona Virus pandemic and flattening the curve to return to normalcy.

On August 7th 2020, female hip hop artists Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released “WAP”, a song met with controversy over its sexually explicit lyrics.  A week later, Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden chooses Kamala Harris as his running mate. If elected, Harris would become the first woman and African American Vice President of the United States. The Less of a Man crew sits down to discuss black America’s reaction to WAP and Kamala Harris, the evolution of the black woman and its impact on the African American man. The crew also discuss black women’s quest for gender equality and the impact of our community defining blackness.