I Am A Man

Synopsis

Award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt explores what it means to be a black man in America. Traveling to more than fifteen cities and towns across the country, Hurt gathers reflections on black masculinity from men and women of a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and a host of leading scholars and cultural critics. What results is an engaging and honest dialogue about race, gender, and identity in America. Features bell hooks, Michael Eric Dyson, John Henrick Clarke, Kevin Powell, Andrew Young, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, MC Hammer, Jackson Katz, and many others.

Release Date:1998

Duration:60 min

ISBN:1-932869-10-7

Subtitles:English

Trailers

Watch the trailer

Filmmaker Credits

Director

Byron Hurt

Producers & Writers

Byron Hurt

Producers & Writers

Andrew P. Jones

Off-Line Editors

Andrew P. Jones

Off-Line Editors

Donald Hastie

On-Line Editors

Lionel Jardine

Awards

International Prized Pieces Community Choice Award

Resources: Downloads and Related Links

Downloads:

Transcript

Praise

"This film, consisting mainly of interviews of ordinary black men and women as well as celebrities and scholars explores the challenge of being a black man in contemporary American society... Suitable for college courses in cultural anthropology, anthropology of gender, anthropology of race, and American studies, as well as general audiences."

Jack David Eller
Anthropology Review Database

"I Am A Man: a powerful film about black manhood and violence in America. The value of this documentary rests not only in the questions posed, but extends to the discussions that could be generated in our homes; on the street; in the churches, mosques, and synagogues; community centers; cultural events; and intimate discussions on viewing it. Its instructive strength from a domestic violence perspective rests with its initial emphasis on the black man's experience and its crescendo into a challenge for the future. Let us think creatively as we seek to instruct and help, not only the next generation, but ourselves as we define and redefine what it truly means to be a black man in America. This, more so than any other reason is why I recommend this video.”

Derrick M. Gordon, Ph.D.
Director of the Program on Male Development at Yale University School of Medicine

"Our experience with Hoop Dreams has shown that the country is desperate for work that deals with African American males with any sincerity and honesty. I believe that I Am A Man does that in a unique way."

Gordon Quinn
Executive Director, Hoop Dreams

Press Reviews

Video Review in Assembling the Piece