If you want to call me an advocate, say that I am a black (and brown!) male health and fatherhood advocate. Say I created BDC because disparities in African American health exist. Say I blog because injustice is still here (and in every paycheck Snooki receives). I do this work because I love this country and I don’t want to live anywhere else. If you say all that then all the haters won’t matter. Say these last few sentences are reductive because I borrowed this sentiment from my hero (and borrowed the word reductive from Madonna). As I understand it Dr. King was, like us, a human being and had a great sense of humor. In those times I am sure it was essential for him to be able to laugh given the work that he did.

While I take this work seriously please know that I got jokes (dry, maybe, but they are still jokes) and a rockstar mentality. I call it a rockstar mentality because like those guys I believe in having fun, being myself, and being outspoken in unique ways on the topics that are important to me like black male health and fatherhood. And I also like to trash hotel rooms. There will be towels on the floor, toothpaste in the sink, and unmade beds in Chi Town and Hotlanta this year! Rock on!

Just a heads up: BDC was given a grant to go to Atlanta and Chicago this year – in addition to our work in New York – to pull together community leaders, non-profit leaders, medical leaders, advocates and others to discuss what we can do to improve the health and fatherhood outcomes of black males. This is a year of action. These are exciting times indeed!