GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After touring around the country, Jon Covington came to Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids Monday night. The theatre hosted a screening of the documentary called "Black Man." The film is raw and honest and tells the story of Black Muskegon natives and their lives.
"We've never seen anything like Black Man on the screen ever," said film creator Jon Covington. "I feel grateful and humbled. I feel like I was the chosen vessel to create this. We've not seen anything like this anywhere."
While working on an art project called Sons for the Muskegon Museum of Art, he came up with the idea to create Black Man. The documentary explores how Black men perceive themselves and how others perceive them.
"Because we're just like everybody else," Covington said. "But if you don't have a conversation with us, then you may not know that you may only know what you read a blurb, or what you see on the six o'clock news. And so a lot of people just are ill-informed as it relates to us being just like everybody else."
The film highlights men between the ages of 21 and 91, sharing their thoughts on life, love, longings, losses and America. Andre Dandridge said the film is important to see because it explores the hardships and vulnerability of being a Black man in America.
"How do you deal with being a father?" Dandridge asked. "How do you deal with being a parent? Right? How do you deal with continuing to be a son, and also contributing positively to your community? So I really want that to resonate with our youth and just to start a discussion so that we can have a better more positive outlook, publicly of what the black man is."
There was also a panel at the screening tonight so community members could have deeper conversations.
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