Jamaican men and boys should have a safe space and community where they can express themselves while being immersed in core values that will propel them to be the best version of themselves. Black Kings Rising (BKR) is a collective geared towards this primary goal, driving conversations about mental health, education and family life among black men and boys.

The group’s name alludes to males rising to the occasion in a manner that is of value and substance to those around them.

“We are very bold and unapologetic about the narrative that we craft. We are not afraid of talking about certain things. It’s important for us to bring to light these discussions and as such a big part of the mandate is to continue these conversations,” key organiser Joel Nomdarkham told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Resonating with the brutality often facing black men especially after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Nomdarkham felt compelled to speak out publicly on Twitter. This tweet essentially birthed the movement that is now Black Kings Rising as it sparked a community that addresses issues that hinder the progress of black men.

MENTAL HEALTH

The movement officially launched in June 2020 in tandem with World Social Media Day. The project portrayed men in a lifestyle magazine layout smiling and showing them in a positive light to change the narrative around black men smiling. Other images depicted men in a more ceremonial light. The initial launch was so well received that the hashtag trended due to how impactful it was as the collective aims to redefine masculinity.

BKR has done a significant amount of work as they aim to advocate for the mental well-being of men who sometimes find it difficult to express themselves emotionally.

“Mental health is really important to us as we see daily how men have been treating other men and women. We see that the suicide rate is going up and we see that men usually only know anger or happiness and nothing in between,” said BKR member Jik-Reuben Pringle.

This movement also tries to appeal to its male audience by incorporating relatable settings such as the barbershop. 

“In our Featured Faces project in November, we had a barber who was talking about the importance of family values, mental health and men. The barbershop is seen sometimes as a therapy session for men, which sometimes can be toxic since not all conversations are good but it is an outlet for a lot of men,” Nomdarkham explained.

BKR has ensured that through its platforms and various projects, specialists in the field get a chance to share professional advice in interviews. The collective has also interviewed men who have gone through their own mental health battles.

Stereotypes facing black men have also been ingrained in conversations surrounding this campaign.

“Last year for International Men’s day we partnered with Sagicor from the standpoint of men and finances because of society’s expectations for men to be the sole provider. This can be burdensome so driving conversations like that is supercritical,” explained Nomdarkham.

Partnerships with the Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy network have also proven instrumental in providing psychologists to address the stress associated with men and financial management.

FAMILY LIFE

The collective is enthusiastic about releasing more content related to striking a healthy partnership between oneself and their partner as well as maintaining a healthy home and family.

In fact, BKR has already executed a Father’s Day project called ‘A father’s letter’ showing men writing letters to their children as a means to uplift the fathers among us who are sometimes overlooked. 

EDUCATION

This collective is a firm believer in the importance of education. It has featured the only male valedictorian from the University of the West Indies to speak on men and education. BKR has also highlighted men in creative fields during its Creator Bros project.

“Devon house also gave us their building to shoot one of our projects due to it being home to Jamaica’s first black millionaire so we also want men to know that they can achieve once they follow the correct path; whether through formal or informal education since it’s really about ambition and drive,” said Nomdarkham.

The collective has also partnered with Red Stripe to educate men about being responsible in what they do, how they take care of their mental health, and safe sex.

THE FUTURE

Roundtable discussions, podcasts and short films will be incorporated in the campaign as the collective grows and gains additional support. BKR also intends to use its platform to speak out more against gender-based violence. Plans are also in the works to visit schools and do projects specifically for boys one day.

“We have to start targeting the younger generation and change how they see and interact with the world as well as how they treat girls,” Pringle told OBSERVER ONLINE.

This campaign is always looking for volunteers to help spread more awareness. If you are a part of or interested in fields such as mental health, visual communication, education, social media marketing and want to lend a hand you can reach out via bkingsrising@gmail.com