DDM Mag Issue No. 4 - The Grooming Issue

BOLD BEARDS MEN

‘THERE’S A LIGHT IN

CAROLINA’ AN IN-DEPTH

INTERVIEW WITH #BLACKLIVESMATTER

SOUTH CAROLINA

A CULTURE GROWS IN HAITI,

FROM THE HEART OF PRAIJJE

AMPLE TIME WITH AMPL

BACKPACKS

The Grooming Issue

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ISSUE 4

Cheverolet Celebrates Fathers Day

Carlos Lima

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse

AMPL Backpacks

OCTOBER 2015

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79

83

58

BOLD BEARDS

Kashmir Thompson

Axel Arigato

A Look At Converse

Isossy Children

John O’donell

Threads Of Luxury

CULTURE

OCTOBER 2015

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43

15

21

27

33

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61 A Call To Action...In Charleston

Special Coverage: Marcus Tankard; The State of Black Fatherhood in America

In Loving Memory Of: Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. Sharonda Singleton,

Rev. Daniel L. Simmons, Sr., Rev. Depayne Middleton Doctor, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson,

Our prayers and condolences are with the members and families of the Emanuel

African Methodist Episcopal Church.Special Thanks to our Sponsors:

Onward Ministries, Elbert Photography, Wills Publishing&Co, The Mckenzie Family,

the williams estate, malachi hats

Publishing Company: Dapper Dads Inc.

Founding Partners: Mario F. Daniels & Tenyse Williams Director of Operations: Jamila Pringle

Art&Design Director: Jasmin UrEna Art&Design Associate: Richa Chatman

Fashion Editor: Shona Cruz

Lead Photographer: Leon Williams

Grooming:Ron The Barber

Tyler’s Personal Photographer:Bradley Mejia @ Radleyraw

Lead Stylists:Adonis cockfield @adonis_the_gentleman

OG @theOGtheory

Models:

Neville Founder Bold beardsmen @boldbeardsmen

@leonwilliamsnycVideo/photgrapher:

Sebastian Prudent @sp1filmsJustin J @visualconnoissuer_

@Ron_DES

Tyler Aryai @tyleraryaisean mayer @thegentlemanslounge

Ivo Diaz @ivodiaz13OG @theOGtheory

car: 1940 dodge bob ryan

DDM MAGAZINE THROWBACK: ISSUE 3; MALCOM JENKINS

PUBLIC RELATIONS: NICKIE E. ROBINSON

About This Issue #grooming:

There’s a new trendy movement how men look. No it’s not the infamous Brook Brothers Suits, or when your kid decides to shave your eyebrows while you’re sleeping (no pun attended it happened to many). Men’s grooming has dominated with the spirit scepter leading this sexy phenomenon straight to the top! Various companies like the Art of Shaving, Dollar Shave Club and plenty more have taken a morning shave, or a regular cut at the barber shop to a whole new level. Grooming is an art and the Beard is its muse. On a sunny, clear and humid day in the beautiful Catskills Mountains, DDM and Bold Beardsmen a unique beard product made for that “Bold Bearded Man” (the name definitely speaks for itself), decided to join forces in a small town in Kerhonkson NY, to define the bold story behind the beard. Our four models (two whom are dads) let out their inner lumberjack spirit and went into the woods head on (even though there was poison ivy) to capture the beauty of nature and hair follicles that grows like the trees in the wilderness. This shoot reminded me of the late 90’s early 2000’s of one of the few men who was bold enough to wear his beards with no bars given, Philly rapper Freeway. His bold lyrics in part with his bold beard made him stand out from Rocafella records (back when Jay-Z and Dame Dash were partners). I will never forget watching “Paid in Full” and I could not understand why he was bald (when everyone clearly had Caesars) with this long beard. When I went to Philly, I thought maybe it was a Philly trend however, I did not realize it was going to be a national phenomenon. I had no idea that when I stepped into womanhood, hairy men chins wouldn’t be looked as “unkempt” is now sleek, sexy and courageous. Throughout this issue dive into the history and trend behind the beard.

About This Issue #BlackDadsMatter:

Since the inception of the magazine, we have had the

pleasure of honoring fathers, brands, and businesses that promote the uplifting

of their communities and men across the country. It has been our honor thus far to see

the overwhelming growth and support of our readers, as well as ourselves. DDM Magazine’s

team is small, and works very hard to ensure that we provide you with quality fatherhood, fashion,

forward movement, and lifestyle. We are thankful for all those who have participated in our little slice of the pie thus far, and for this we salute you.

Although the anniversary issue is a great achievement for us, it also comes in light of the insurmountable acts of brutality, hatred, and injustice taking place all over America. We have witnessed the sense-less murder of men of color, innocent women, and children over the past two years, and it is truly dis-heartening. With readily available access to media sources, the sad truth about our great country has become prevalent. We are living in a time where black men and boys are under fire in their own country, rather than a time when they should be thriving and living the ‘American Dream’. This

is not the America that we were raised to be-lieve in. This is not the land where equality

reigns. No, the guise that this exists is no more, and America’s veil has been

pulled down for the world to see.

We’ve heard all about the Trayvon Martins, Eric Garner, Fergusons, and North Charlestons. The tragedies that have happened to these people and places happen every day, every-where. That is why the team decided to dedicate this issue to the slain men and fa-thers of past and present. We take a deeper look at our communities, and the importance of fathers. #BlackDadsMatter is a derivative of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It is not a sect, or a branch off of the movement, but it is our contribution to the #BlackLivesMatter mission. With all that has happened, we saw that to be a publication that is dedicated to the one thing all men have in common, but not speak on the real issues was an injustice to our readers, race, and community.

We charge our readers, no matter their race, religion, or creed to make a difference. We ask that you speak out and join your local organization in the fight for equality and justice. We empower you to make the right choice, pay attention to what’s happening in your communities, and to say something. Far too long people have turned a blind eye to crime. Not just crime committed by the ones who protect us, but the crime against each other. It is our responsibility to create a future worth living for our children. It is our uty as fathers, father figures, role models, and parents to make a change. Remember, children are not born with hatred, they are taught to hate. That is the same for ev-eryone, no matter the ethnic background.

Thank you,Mario F. Daniels & Tenyse WilliamsCo-Founder of DDM Magazine

Kashmir Thom

pson

Featured Artist

• KASHMIR THOMPSON

Martin 1-5

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• AXEL ARIGATO • A LOOK AT CONVERSE • ISOSSY CHILDREN • JOHN O’DONELL • THREADS OF LUXURY

13 ddmmagonline.com grooming issue 2015

May

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elou

In the era of the digital age new trends are emerging every day. Therefore the

founders of Axel Arigato want-ed to create a new brand that was adapted to this era. Cutting edge design mixed with a sense of ease and authenticity are re-flected in their new styles which are presented every week.

Using the very best materials confirm the passions of Axel Arigato. We believe that shoes are the way for people to ex-press who they truly are and should be selected before any other part of the outfit. Designed in Paris - Operating in Sweden. Their 1 year anniversary will be in July of 2015!

Spring Collection 2015


Axel Arigato

Grey Python Embossed Leather Mid Top Sneaker


Black Fish Embossed High top sneaker

Bordeaux Fish Embossed High Top Sneaker

Black mid top Python em

bossed leather sneaker

Dark Grey Patent Leather Low Sneaker

Black Linen LoaferBlack Ultra m

atte Leather Low Sneaker

Slip on Cheetah pony hairBordeaux Fish Em

bossed Suede Chukka Sneaker


Des GarÇonsPlay

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Play Converse Chuck Taylor All Start ‘70 Low White Play Converse Chuck Taylor All Start ‘70 High White Play Converse Chuck Taylor All Start ‘70 High Black Play Converse Chuck Taylor All Start ‘70 Low Black


Isossy Children

2015 Angel Collection


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Boy

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Angel Fairy Top and Skirt Set

Angel Princess Dress

Angel Tye Dye Dress

Angel Rock Dress

Angel Thai Dress Tween

Angel Thai Dress Gold

Metallic Jacket Tween

Gold Metallic Jacket - Angel

Thai Top - Angel Grey

Shorts

Angel Rose Gold Metallic

Dress


Man

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INTRODUCING West Coast Father & Entrepreneur

John O’ Donnell

the West Coast prep-lifestyle as much as possible. Who else has a golfing and driving range on a rooftop of an LA based office that designs classic apparel with a Southern California spin? Only johnnie-O- of course. The spelling of the brand name is also unique, which reads as a lowercase “j” at the start of johnnie-O, and surprisingly, the idea was that of his brother and actor, Greys Anatomy star, Chris O’ Donnell. According to John, his brother said he “absolutely must call it johnnie-O, so people actually know that this is my cre-ation. It turned out to be great advice. The lower case j seems to fit our lower profile approach to things as a company.”

Sometimes, you just want to relax, and feel com-fortable. This is some-thing men’s designer and proud father, John

O’ Donnell understood when he conjured his expanding West Coast brand johnnie-O. John has managed to attract a growing customer base on the West and East Coast, who love their plaid and striped shirts; and don’t mind pairing them with a pair of slacks or simple crisp jeans. For many, this is an All-American look that can be worn with ease, and reflects the busy lifestyle of numerous men both nationally, and inter-nationally. For John O’ Donnell his popular brand and growing family are two things that he is most proud of.

Oddly enough, although john-nie-O is has made his mark on the west coast, he recognizes that so many “East Coasters and Midwest clients almost relate to it more than the West Coast, as it provides a diversion for them from their everyday “animal logo” that seems to dominate the East Coast and Midwest culture,” says John. Yet, with his apparel and store experi-ence, he wanted many to live


Numerous stars have now caught on to his brand, and “there are some really fun and successful people who I have come to know, and who sup-port the brand regularly. People like Jimmy Buffet, Billy Bush, Brian Urlacher, Brett Hull, and lots of others who have been so supportive of what we are doing.” With traction from stars like this, one can only expect

growth for the future. John does expect some interesting things in the next few years, including “some sort of women’s line or “capsule”. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a few john-nie-O shops of our own.” This is interesting, as the johnnie-O brand is focused on men’s apparel. At the end of the day, John hopes that “we continue to grow so we can continue to

support the numerous charities that we are a part of, and that I can continue to employ a great group of people. There’s noth-ing better and more satisfying than having a positive impact on people’s lives.”

With all of John’s growing brand success, he still realizes that he is a father, which he deems the “most rewarding feeling is to feel like you are absolutely needed. Jack needs me. And in many ways, I need him at this point in my life.” When you are an entrepreneur like John balancing time be-tween work and home, it can prove to be no easy task. But for

him, “Jack is just turning 1 and it has been quite a balancing act. Up at six in the morning rumbling around with him, then off to work, then back home to rumble some more. Incredibly satisfying, but damn, I’m tired!” John learned the importance of his role as a father from his father, who heavily influenced his family life and success. He admitted that “As cliché as it

sounds, my dad was everything to me. He taught me through his actions. He didn’t have to say anything. I just watched the way he operated, the way he treated people. And the way he cared. He was really an amazing man that I wish I had in my life forever.”


overty and destruction have often been the terms used to describe

Haiti since the earthquake, but there is a lot more to

this proud country other than its efforts to rebuild and continue its great legacy of culture and beauty. Consider its clear blue waters where you can see the bottom of your feet when you look down, and are surrounded by blankets of white sand. This vision alone draws in numerous tourists annually. For emerging designer Prajje Jean Baptiste, showcasing a luxurious line with traces of Haiti is a great way to represent an often ignored side of his homeland, its wealth, and value.

At the cusp of the apparel for

this fashion engineer, is the foundation of the very country he calls home. He admitted that, “since I started designing, Haiti has always been the back-bone of the design in terms of inspiration, colors and textures.” Prajje’s work has the elegance and class of Hollywood, while reflecting the luxurious details, great fabrics, and fit. His ap-parel allows a woman to ac-cessorize how she wants. One of his most renowned fabrics incorporates burlap silk into its pattern work. For Prajje, this ma-terial “is used for various cultural things in Haiti, and accentuates great architecture.”

Don’t think just traditional Hai-tian Apparel with Prajje’s work, like over extended skirts and

cropped tops, or head wraps with bright accessories. Although the traditional look does not flow from his apparel, “every-thing I do always has Haiti in it. One of my favorite colors is tur-quoise because it reminds me of the water,” he said. He added that “My concept with designing with Haiti in mind is not to make it such a cliché. My clothes are very clean, simple, and very classic. There is a difference between classic and basic. I’m making clothes for my wom-an so she can be dressed the way she wants to be dressed. Clothes should not overpower your personality. “This approach has helped Prajje gain much traction in Haiti and the United States.

Threads of luxury Made With

Haiti in Mind


PPrajje begins to describe how he got his start during Boston Fash-ion week, where he developed a strong production background, which has helped build his dra-matic presentations. He has also dressed well -known Haitian, and Grammy Award-winning artist Wycleff Jean and Alek Wek. Although he has gained a great following, starting out was not easy for him. Designing was not encouraged by Prajje’s family who did not see success in a career that was not recog-nized as stable. “Growing up in Haiti, you can’t say it out loud. They want you to be a doctor or lawyer,” said Prajjee. It certainly took his family a while to under-stand and respect his decision to follow the road less traveled. Thankfully, “my mom saw my talent and shoved me in school.”

Looking back at his humble beginning has only encouraged Prajje, who is building more collections about Haiti and sees “something so creative and able to provide jobs, by doing em-broidering and beading there.” With this beautiful country as a source of inspiration, he hopes for greater things in the future, like “seeing more celebrities wearing my clothes, and I would love to throw a show and have buyers, as well as a high-end boutiques in Haiti,” he mentions. Perhaps, with increased rec-ognition, he may just become “the next Oscar De La Renta of Haiti.”


By: Tenyse Williams • Photography: Leon Williams • Fashion by: Adonis Cockfield

BOLD BEARDS

The similar sounds you hear in the barbershops filled with in-sightful conversations, emotion, and energy that goes along with the sound of the clippers. Using this intricate, yet powerful tool as a paint brush to even the hairline and sideburns which then formu-lates into THE BEARD. “During the second half of the nineteenth century, beards emerged as a key method for American men to demonstrate their masculinity to themselves, to women, and to each other .”This bold unshaven look has an extensive history that labeled the male members of their species strong,manly, powerful, and a damn motherfucking BOSS ( credits Rick Ross).

Even though men in Europe and the United States had a style of overwhelming beardlessness (think about our founding fathers, they had wigs but no beards)—about how beards marked as strong, manly, powerful, and wise. In all actuality, American men started to cultivate the facial hair they had publicly revered (but personally scorned) for generations. Facial hair was a visual and visceral way for men to distinguish themselves in other words to codify a distinctly male appearance.

Story What makes the beard so “Beardstorical?” Who started this trend in the first place? Well, Beards have fallen in and out of fashion. They were rare in the thirteenth century, popular among European nobility in the fourteenth and fifteenth, taxed England (yes taxed) and banned in France in the early sixteenth, very popular until the close of the seventeenth, and rarely was visible during the eighteenth. The eighteenth century was a rare moment in history when “almost total beardlessness” was the norm. However despite all of this beard backlash, the association between facial hair and king’s,(beardstorians con-nected beards with masculinity). Beards were called “the naturall [sic] ensigne of manhood,” or even “one of man’s last signs of unmistakable masculinity.” “The 1894 edition of Encyclopædia Britannica made a distinguished connection between beards and masculinity;” the beard functioned as the outward and visible sign of a true man.”

Power, Strength and Facial Hair: As round 1786 thru the 1940s (one generation after the beard’s demise), European and American authors waxed philosophically about the virtues of facial hair. These historical references revealsed the qualities nin teenth-century men associated with beards, such as power and masculinity. “Beardstorians” looked to the past to demonstrate that beards were associated with power and strength. Prime example, King Alexander (Alexander the great) supposedly forced his troops to shave because their beards could be grabbed by enemies on the battlefield, however he did not remove his own beard, because a bare chin “would detract from his dignity and he would fail to command the same respect that he did when in a bearded state.”

A converse example proved a similar point: The mummies of kings such as the infamous “ King Tut” and all of his predecessors and Gods all had the “metallic beard” that symbolized a representation of the a particular higher power.However, many pharaohs were clean shaven and the metallic beard was gender neutral depending on that particular queen who ruled.

Since beards conferred masculinity and power on their male wearers, it was logical to nineteenth-century American men that figures of male authority and wisdom would be marked with beards. Abraham Lincoln grew a beard during his 1860 presidential campaign, inaugurating fifty years of virtu-ally uninterrupted presidential facial hair. (shouts out to Abe for setting the trend). Uncle Sam gained a beard in the second half of the nineteenth century, American men had made it clear what it meant for a man to have a beard: it gave him power, it conferred authority, and it allowed him to demonstrate his masculinity. In other words, facial hair turned a man into a “true man.”

Question, what is the “outward sign of a true man” we did a whole time warp of “ Beard*Story” but now living in the 21st century what does society define as the “true man” besides physical attributes and physique. Roles are changing, Bearded men are the faces of style influencers, chefs, doctors, stay at home fathers, socialites, activists and more. Is it a trend or is it a livelihood, many influencers are saying the “Beard Gang” is the unshaven fraternity that is here to stay.

Sources: http://ushistoryscene.com/article/beards/ www.theatlantic.com/national/...history...beard/283180

“In life you should never be comfortable, and the one thing I would tell each and every individual is knowing knowledge of self. It is essential to know where you came from and you need to know your history.origins and traditions, establish an equilibrium for yourself.”

~ BoldBeardsmen Rep OG ~

“Confidence is at the center of our company mantra.....”

~ BoldBeardsMen Rep OG ~

The World’s Smartest BackpackAMPL

By: Shona Cruz

ou know that heart sinking feeling: you’re down to your last bar of

battery, less than 10 percent left and you still have hours before you finish your day.

Uggghhhh! You just realized you left your charger at home, NOOO! This scenario seems all too familiar to many of us; we’ve all been there. What are your options though? It would be ideal if I could carry around my battery or have a portable outlet with me wherever I go but “how realistic is that?”

YIt’s more realistic than you think thanks to California entrepreneurs who created the genius AMPL Backpack. It’s a portable charging station and you know what? Its 2015 and we SHOULD have something like this available – I mean it’s amazing that the classic backpack has not changed in functionality since the days when paper and pens were classroom staples, so the boys at AMPL decided to jump on it and put their passion and techno-knowledge to the test to bring this life changing innovation to the marketplace.

“Necessity is the mother of inven-tion.” – Michael Patton, Founder & CEO of AMPL Smart Backpacks [paraphrasing the ancient proverb]

AMPL Backpack founder Michael Patton and his team of 4 have flipped the switch to thoughts of how we can integrate technology into the borderless economy we now have become accustomed to. This means wherever you stay, whatever you do, wherever you travel, however you travel, you have one less thing distracting your focus from whatever has you on the go!

• AMPL BACKPACKS

grooming issue 2015 ddmmagonline.com 58

It must be uber-expensive for something so uber-necessary right? These questions and more were part of the numerous surveys and crowd funder ques-

tions that have been raised by the AMPL team as well as potential buyers.

“We began market research by sharing some pro type specs and our plans through surveys. We just straight out asked the question: ‘based on this information, would you buy this product?’ 81% of people said they would buy it! We were [floored].” – Michael Patton

Price and weight are details still being perfected as they plan to hit retail stores soon. However, when asked about price point and weight and all the other elements that make a product saleable, I was relieved to hear that making the Smart Backpack as accessi-ble as possible is one of the top priorities along with keeping the backpack at a realistic weight as well. So the smarty pants team at AMPL broke down their target audience into 4 strong lifestyles:

Connected Tarvellers: These are your jet-setters, frequent corporate and pleasure travellers. They fly about 3-4 times a month and given this handy Smart Backpack, no more scavenging for the outlets in the airport lounge anymore.

Urban Warriors: These folks are your daily commuters either pe-destrian or via car, train, subway or bus. Rest assured, with this new gadget you’re unlikely to run out of juice on the highway again.

Gadget Geeks: You know these people: to them, new shiny gad-gets are better than… candy. This demographic are what Patton calls “the early adopters”. They are in a way, the risk-takers when it comes to new gadgetry because they don’t wait for the reviews to come out to buy, they’re the ones writing them!

Students: This group of people are on campus some days for 10-12hrs a day including time in class and the library. When you’re away from your primary charging sources for your social and aca-demic devices, getting the desk in the library near the outlet is a daily struggle! The AMPL Smart Backpack intends to provide the solution.

With more than 2000 pre-orders already and having exceeded their crowd funding objectives, AMPL is moving forward into direct and retail sales as well as a couple CES Innovation Awards under their belt too (no big deal!!). They have clearly found an unsatis-fied demand in our tech powered world.

So in a world where we can buy virtually anything at any time, where we have gadgets that do everything from finding us the clos-est restaurant from where we are able to remotely engage the home alarm system, we can’t but appre-ciate the capabilities of the world we live in. It’s about time we had the ability to live life in a way in which we can stay connected and not worry for how long. It seems AMPL Smart Backpacks do indeed bring peace of mind to a life in motion.

PREORDERS are being taken online at: www.ampl-labs.com

HOW MUCH?

• SPECIAL COVERAGE: MARCUS TANKARD; THE STATE OF BLACK FATHERHOOD IN AMERICA

• A CALL TO ACTION...IN CHARLESTON

59 ddmmagonline.com grooming issue 2015

DDM Magazine recently had the chance to con-verse with Muhiyidin

D’Baha, an organizer for the Black Lives Matter Movement in Charleston, South Carolina. The passionate, well-spoken, and educated organizer shared his thoughts behind the #Black-LivesMatter movement in con-junction with the roles of men and fathers in our communities. It is no secret that in the public light, men of color are depict-

ed as less than, when it comes to playing a part in the home, community, and workforce. Media often portrays us igno-rant, materialistic, criminals whom are absentee fathers, fathers with the inexplicable “baby momma drama”, as well as being attached to “crazy” women of color whom suffer under their own plethora of ste-reotypes; and even as it relates to the LGBT community, black men are often seen as men who

A Call to Action in Charleston, South Carolina with Black Lives

Matter Organizer, Muhiyidin D’Baha #BlackDadsMatter

By: Mario F. Daniels, Co-Founder of DDM Magazine

are flamboyant, boisterous, and hyper-feminine. In our immedi-ate communities, black men are the targets of discrimination, stereotypes, and the evermore prevalent, injustice. This is a sad norm that has come to run rampant in our communities. This is where our voices needed to be heard, and in Charleston, they are sounding off.

The history of injustice, discrim-ination, and murder in Amer-

ica goes without mention. To venture into the hundreds of years of oppression that black families have faced through apparent, subtle, and system-atic racism will take more than a few pages in this magazine. Also, to examine the multi-tude of deaths that have come to light over the recent years, once again can prove to be a daunting task. There is no ques-tion that black men and women are under fire. Our child face

the danger of racial profiling and murder, almost to the point where we have begun to cling more to the fear of those who protect and serve, make laws, and are supposed to be work-ing in our favor as Americans. We live in a time where leaders in our communities are scarce, and the tension, coupled with fear and anger, are beginning to erupt in communities that suf-fer the most…ours.

NC Life April 9th 2015


MD: I can only really speak for the Black Lives Matter in Charleston. As an Organizer with Black Lives Matter - Charleston SC our mission is to educate Individuals, organize community, and demand institution-al accountability, while we create the systematic change necessary to increase the quality of Life for the Gullah Geechee Nation and peo-ple of color in the Greater Charles-ton Area.

We have a living, breathing, roots culture here and that needs to be preserved, revitalized, and protect-ed. To support us in our particular mission we ask for 3 things

1) Help us keep our land and culture by donating to the Gullah Geechee Angel Network. (gullah-geecheeangelnetwork.com)

2) We need logistical, resource, and technology support. Visit our HelpOut page. (blacklivesmat-terchs.yolasite.com/help-out.php)

3) Most Urgently we need people to engage in #projectwearewatch-ingyou. We are asking people to look out for each other by simply putting police under surveillance every time they put on their blue lights or stop someone on the street, until they start to correct their harassing and profiling behavior.

DDM: We talk often about WHAT is happening but there have been little in depth discussions about the WHY. Why do you all believe that black men are still targeted by Po-lice?

MD: Again, I can only speak for our experience here in Charleston, SC. There is a system of laws, prac-tices, and procedures that maintain the unequal social order. Here we call it the ‘good ole boy system’. This system again serves the pur-pose it was created to serve. Keep the status quo for the rich and privi-leged, and keep the ‘cheap labor’ force in their place. In effect the ‘good ole boy’ system makes it very difficult or near impossible to acquire the necessary social cap-ital to access the wealth creating opportunities. Even simpler, the game is to be sold, not told. We do not live in a meritocracy or a democracy. We live in hypocrisy. I say all of this to make this point: When we live in an unequal social order, there are laws that maintain that social order. How that law is enforced, upon whom, and to what degree is in fact the reason men of color are still targeted by the Police. He who makes the Laws also makes the Criminal.

DDM: Do you believe that convic-tions will be enough to stop police brutality? And if not, what other actions need to be taken to ensure proper policing activity?

MD: No, convictions will not be enough. These are not ‘bad ap-ples’. This is a system we are con-fronting. The way that system main-tains itself is by keeping people in line under the threat of violence and incarceration for non-compliance. Again it is the ‘Enforcement of Law’ that is the issue. We are dealing with issues of over-militarization, implicit bias, lack of accountability, hyper-aggression, over sentencing

DDM: What are some ways that anyone can be EFFECTIVE now in the Black Lives Matter Movement?

and mass incarceration that stem from deeper issues of mis-educa-tion, underemployment, mental health etc. There are two main is-sues at hand then:

1) Criminal Justice Reform

2) Community Well-Being.

In the first we are advocating for a Citizens Review Board w/Sub-poena powers in order to establish some real accountability to the com-munity for policing behavior and complaints. In the second, we are continuing #projectwearewatch-ingyou (CopWatch). In addition,

Live in NC April 8th 2015

we are aligned with the Organiza-tion of Black Struggles Quality Po-licing Initiative which seeks to effect community based oversight in the training, advancement, recruitment, deployment, and accountability po-lices of the Police Department. True Community Oversight over policing is the goal!

DDM: How best can people ex-plain to their children what is hap-pening currently in the black com-munity?

MD: In Charleston we are blessed because we are a part of the Gullah

Geechee Nation. What that means is that we speak about the struggle with a stature of hometown freedom fighter Denmark Vesey giving us inspiration. The Stono Rebellion is where we take our story back to. The Africans that arrived upon these Charleston shores created their own language, culture, and traditions. A big part of that tradition is resis-tance to white supremacy. As we speak to our Gullah Geechee and African youth, we tell them stories of Louis Gregory, Septima Clark, Esau Jenkins, and Robert Smalls. We talk about the movement as if it never ended…because it didn’t. But we

are blessed to live so close to our roots so the stories are still alive. My advice to family elsewhere: Learn the history of the resistance and teach the history of the move-ment.

DDM: What is the South Carolina Black Lives Matter Group prepared to do in light of the Grey case?

MD: The same thing we are pre-pared to do with the #WalterScott case. Keep pressure on them pros-ecutors and politicians to deliver Justice. What that looks like in Bal-timore and North Charleston might be different because the cases or different, but we are in solidarity. I can see a call for national march-es in both cities being something probable.

DDM: It has often been stated that there is an absence of fatherhood in Black Lives Matter movement. Do you believe this to be true? Untrue? Why?

MD: Again I can only speak for our experience here in (North) Charleston, SC. Fatherhood within our community has been the single most targeted position of authority stripped from our community and family structures. At the same time, the resilience of our community has embraced fatherhood in a lot of the different ways that it looks, despite mass incarceration; Step-fathers, God-fathers, Big OG’s, etc. I don’t believe the statement is true. But I do believe that it is a fascinating issue to be explored deeper. We have experienced some very real generational tension. I believe this is the case all around the country. The Young Lions and the OG’s are not communicating in ways that do reflect some pain, guilt, or overpro-tectiveness that seems to be emo-tionally rooted. I am sure a Black Psychologists might be able to shed light on it.


Daylight rally April 8th 2015

When we say Black Lives Matter, we are broadening the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. We are talking about the ways in which Black lives are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity. How Black poverty and genocide is state violence. How 2.8 million Black people are locked in cages in this

our mission is to educate Individuals, organize community, and demand institu-tional accountabil-ity, while we create the systematic change necessary to increase the quality of Life for the Gullah Geechee Nation and people of color in the Greater Charleston Area.

country is state violence. How Black women bearing the bur-den of a relentless assault on our children and our families is state violence. How Black queer and Trans folks bear a unique burden from a hete-ro-patriarchal society that dis-poses of us like garbage and simultaneously fetishizes us and profits off of us, and that is state violence. How 500,000 Black people in the US are undocumented immigrants and relegated to the shadows. How Black girls are used as negotiating chips during times of conflict and war. How Black folks living with disabilities and different abilities bear the burden of state sponsored Darwinian experiments that at-tempt to squeeze us into boxes of normality defined by white supremacy, and that is state violence.

#BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. We affirm our con-tributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression. We have put our sweat equity and love for Black people into creating a political project–tak-ing the hash tag off of social media and into the streets. The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation.

For more information please visit: [www.blacklivesmatter.com]

All #BlackLivesMatter. This is Not a Moment,but a Movement

#BlackLivesMatter was created in 2012 after Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted for his crime, and dead 17-year old Trayvon was post-humously placed on trial for his own murder. Root-ed in the experiences of Black people in this country who actively resist our de-human-ization, #BlackLivesMatter is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society. Black Lives Matter is a unique contribution that goes beyond extrajudicial killings of Black people by police and vigilan-tes.

It goes beyond the narrow nationalism that can be preva-lent within Black communities, which merely call on Black people to love Black, live Black and buy Black, keeping straight cis Black men in the front of the movement while our sisters, queer and trans and disabled folk take up roles in the background or not at all. Black Lives Matter affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black-undocumented folks, folks with records, women and all Black lives along the gender spectrum. It centers those that have been marginalized within Black liberation movements. It is a tactic to (re)build the Black liberation movement.

About Black Lives Matter


Is Black Fatherhood an Urban Legend?The images fed to us from the media would have us believe that the black father is an urban legend. After all black fathers are good for nothing but making ba-bies, right? This frame of mind dates back to the days of the slave trade. Usually I do not dwell on the past, however this is our American history and I believe that acts from major past events has a tremendous effects on our present outcomes which brings a harsh reality. Even though times keeps moving and plenty of things have change, the one imperative subject that society has not necessarily changed is its sterotypical outlook on black fatherhood.

The black father is not seen nurturing and loving his family. I say family because fatherhood is not just about a father’s relationship with his children. Over-all, it has everything to do with the father’s relation-ship with his wife or his child’s mother. Children learn how to respect women by watching their fathers. I have loved my wife for years, but I’m very aware of the need to consciously love her tenderly now that my son is watching. He will learn the mechanics of how to treat a lady from his father. He will know how to value the love, affection, and beauty of a women by how I honor and love his mother. This is something that even single dads can learn. No matter how bad the breakups are or conflicts between you and your child’s mother, you have to constantly remind yourself that this was the woman that gave birth to our child/children. And if for no other reason than respect for the child, we as fathers must honor these mothers. But we do not see that displayed in the media. We see bickering and tit for tat games between parents. It’s like they are playing ping pong, but they don’t realize the ball they are playing with is a child’s life.

More Than a Provider Fatherhood is more than just being a provider. Sometimes in our dash to fulfill the American Dream, we have convinced ourselves that if the food is on the table, gas is in the car, and we are saving for college, we have done our part. That’s not exactly how it works. Financial stewardship does not give me a free pass from being emotionally available. A wise man once told me, “Wherever you are, be all there.” In other words, do not be present in the home but wishing you were elsewhere, present, but answer-ing emails, present, to busy reworking the budget to enjoy family time present, but physically spent and cannot engage with the babies. My dad did this, I honor my father’s hustle, but his career robbed him of my childhood. In his quest for millions his family took a back seat. Did he provide for us, yes, however, I have no memories of throwing a football with dad, or having “the talk” about women with my dad. I learned how to tie a necktie from a neighbor and later learned how to tie a bow tie from youtube. Pre-cious moments are missed when you chase a dollar.

he attack on black fatherhood is not something that is foreign to American culture. Sadly, society as a whole has done too well of a job reinforcing myths and stereotypes that have shaped the culture.

It’s been said that media shapes the beliefs of a culture; If that is true then the image of fatherhood, particularly black fatherhood, has been extremely distorted. The power of media creates an ideal for our fashion, careers, financial goals, and even relationships, but ultimately we must have enough sense to know that everything we read or see on television is not authentic and is controlled. We must come to the understanding that the media has a strong voice, and stereotypical perception of our culture, we have to close attention to the messages that are being delivered to us about black fatherhood.

Op-Ed By Marcus Tankard (special coverage) Op-Ed By Marcus Tankard (special coverage)

The State of Black Fatherhoodin AmericaBravo TV Show “ Thicker Than Water”

Op-Ed By Marcus Tankard (special coverage) Op-Ed By Marcus Tankard (special coverage)

The new Millennial DadThere is a new breed of fathers in the 21st century... Though small in number we are still here. I believe that our community is waking up to the fact that the problems with what we see in our young black men are directly tied to fatherhood or the lack there of. Men like myself are not content with repeating the mistakes of a previous generation just having babies but not actively raising them. Men are developing a vision of what fatherhood really is. It’s more difficult for some than others, depending on their frame of reference. For me, the idea of becoming a father was startling to say the least. I did not meet my father until I was six and I never saw him interact with my other siblings as infants, toddlers, or children (except may-be the youngest, Cyrene). So when my wife and I got pregnant I had no vision of how I would even interact with the baby. This was the reason I waited so long to even have a baby because I did not know how to be a father. But one thing I have learned is that igno-rance does not make the issue go away. Sooner or later life will force you to confront the very thing you are running from. And you are either going to buckle down and learn, or run from your responsibilities.

Perhaps there are lots fathers who feel that they are not qualified to father a child because they were not fathered themselves. I understand that line of thinking. A conversation with my dad helped me sort through some of toes thoughts. He said, “Marcus, fatherhood is daily. Even after your children are grown you will still be found fathering them. There is not a work you can read on fatherhood that will answer all your questions. But if you love God, love your wife, love the kids the best you know how and become a pro-

fessional learner, anything is possible.” That helped me. It removed the need to know everything before having a baby and it gave me courage face the next chapter of life.

What is the state of black fatherhood in America?

It’s not what it was and it’s not what it will become. Fatherhood is being anticipated and celebrated. As fathers in the black community evolve beyond the definition the culture has placed on us, we will see black fathers steer our families in a new direction. We will not be an invisible presence in America, but instead a demographic that is present, accounted for, and producing children who develop into adults who positively contribute to our society. I believe that in a day where we complain about the fathers who walked out and left their children, we should celebrate and appreciate the fathers that stayed. The celebration of black fatherhood creates an ideal in the hearts of young black men and is the first step of many that we must take to change the perception of black fatherhood.

DDM MAGAZINE THROWBACK: ISSUE 2; BRIAN WHITE

• CHEVEROLET CELEBRATES FATHERS DAY • CARLOS LIMA • WOLFGANG’S STEAKHOUSE

CHEVROLET CELEBRATES FATHERS DAY

WITH EXCLUSIVE SHORT FILMS FEATURING LEGENDARY

NEW YORK CITY FATHERS


On June 17th, Chevrolet saluted fathers everywhere with the pre-miere of its two Chevy Sons +

Daughters short films in New York City. Each feature documented the role of fatherhood in the lives of influential native New Yorkers: legendary graffi-ti artist Futura with his writer daughter Tabatha McGurr, and DJ/producer Stretch Armstrong with his art-dealer and collector father Armand Bartos.Paying homage to two New York-based

fathers, Chevrolet provided vehicles to Armstrong and McGurr for each to pay a surprise visit to their respective fathers. Chevy captured the moment and followed each duo for a day in their hometowns, where they reminisced about growing up and raising children in the concrete jungle.The films were directed and produced by filmmakers and nightlife veter-ans Sam Sneed and Chaddy Chad of creative house We Are Not Pilgrims.

Stretch Armstrong Armand Bartos

71 ddmmagonline.com grooming issue 2015 grooming issue 2015 ddmmagonline.com 68 72

Futura

Tabatha McGurr


For more information about Chevrolet, visit http://www.chevrolet.com/.

To join the conversation on social media, use the official hashtag #ChevyDads.


Carlos LimaInterview with NGA SOCCER founder

By: Shona Cruz


Starting out in Por-tugal, NGA Soccer founder, Carlos Lima began his love af-fair with soccer at a

young age. He dabbled in the European football industry on the retail side of business, of course playing and cultivating his passion for the game! It is Europe after all where football rivals only religion.

Lima, 35, is now a successful in-ternational entrepreneur build-ing what seems like nothing short of an empire and his fa-vourite things in life are creating moments with his family. Com-ing from a very close knit family himself, Lima has certainly set his priorities in order and family is undoubtedly at the top.

Lima immigrated with his fam-ily to Canada from Portugal in

2005. He was 25 years old and starting over in a new country. The social and personal challenges of the move alone would have been enough of an excuse for anyone to embrace mediocrity; but on the contrary, Lima began to work hard in the construction/renovations industry building up a successful contracting compa-ny over the years. Now settled in the countryside of Ottawa, Can-

ada, Lima and his beautiful wife and daughter are busy creating the life they’ve always wanted.

DDM:How did NGA Soccer begin?

CL: NGA actually began in the basement of my parents’ house in Toronto. My love for soccer and more specifically for Goalkeeping made me dream of doing something like this for many years. I had already been involved in the sports in-dustry when I was younger be-fore moving to Canada. About 3 years ago I decided I was going to try this new venture. I started by doing a small market research and found there may be niche market I could ex-plore. All I was thinking about was in Canada. Canada (and North America) is mostly dominated by box stores. All of these Sports Specific box Stores have nothing or very little to offer in terms of Goalkeeper Gloves. I thought that if I could

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Being an honest and loyal leader is

key to success.

About 3 years ago I decided I was going to try this new venture. I started by doing a small market research and found there may be niche market I could explore.

create a good product at a reasonable retail price perhaps I could have some success. I contacted various manufac-turers and produced various prototypes until I achieved what I was looking for until I launched my first 3 models here in Canada. The name NGA I totally have to give credit to my

brother-in-law. We were talking in that Toronto basement about how I wanted to create a Goal-keeper Brand of Gloves and in conversation it just happened. He said, why don’t you call it NGA? No Goals Against. And that’s it. That’s how it was born.

DDM: Its gaining international notoriety in such a short amount of time - was this how you planned or envisioned it?

CL: I never planned for in-ternational notoriety. I owe it to social media. There’s no better advertising then Social Media, it’s worldwide and it’s FREE. I created a Facebook Page called NGA SPORTS. Started posting some pictures of Gloves. On the description I wrote Portuguese/Canadian brand of Goalkeeper Gloves. I very proud to be Portuguese and Canadian. Somehow a

Facebook Page that’s Followed by over 20 000 people in Portugal called O Mundo dos Guarda-Redes (The Goalkeep-ers World) found my page and shared one of my posts. A professional Goalkeeper in Portugal saw this same post and loved the look of the NGA gloves and contacted me. He

was very interested in trying them. I honestly thought he was some scam artist (lol). He then emailed me a copy of his pass-port and other European ID and I couldn’t believe it. I sent him 2 pairs. He loved them and the rest is history. NGA now has a North American Base in Canada and a Euro-pean base out of Portugal. We are now a Trademarked Inter-national Corporation. We have our own Factory named NGA Sports in Pakistan. We also have distribution in Portugal, Luxembourg, Brazil and soon in USA, England and Qatar. We are all a team. From myself to each distributor and each play-er that is endorsed or Spon-sored by NGA. We also have partnerships with Sports Agents and Clubs all over the World. I could have never imagined this in such a short amount of

time. But we base our work on Honesty and Service which makes it makes it easy for any new partner or associate to work with us.

DDM:What has this new business venture changed THE MOST about you as a MAN, FATHER & BUSINESS OWNER

CL: I don’t think I’ve changed at all as person. I’m busier but I’m planting the seeds and I’ve been a business owner in different industries since I was 19 years old, with an interval of 2 years that I worked for someone. That person was also a big mentor for me in so many but simple ways. I am so thank-ful for the family I have. I’m blessed with an amazing wife that always supports me 100% and such a beautiful healthy little daughter. I have amazing parents, sisters, brother-in-laws and Mother-in-law and Father-in-law. I have all the riches anyone could ever wish for in my amazing family. Everything that comes after that are just other blessings.


DDM: What are some core personal traits that have helped you achieve the success that you’ve experienced so far in the business?

CL: I think the first thing I could say is I’m Fearless (so my wife says). I’ve never been afraid to knock on a door and show what I’m worth. I have confi-dence and am extremely hard worker. But most of all I am an honest and loyal leader. Apart from having a quality product, prices and numbers. Being an honest and loyal leader is key to success. You can have all the money to start a business, the best new thing or idea. But if you are not honest and loyal to everyone you work with (from customers to factories), you can never achieve success. No one can do big things alone and take all credit for them. There’s always a team. From your backbone that’s your family, to everyone that is a part to bringing to life your vision. NGA is still not big, but were doing some fun things, and there are a big group of people involved to make this all happen.

DDM: How does Carlos Lima the businessman compare with Carlos Lima the father? Simi-larities or total opposites?

CL: I think were very similar. Strict but kind. Honest and love to make people happy. Disor-ganized LOL… so very similar I’d say.


Wolfgang’s Steakhouse

Wolfgang’ s S teak-house is bringing you

the most luxurious steaks that are sure to tantalize dad’s taste-buds on his special day! Wolfgang’s steaks are luxu-rious – meltingly tender and juicy, served sizzling hot with a perfectly caramelized crust! “Iron Chef Bobby Flay is

a regular, from day one of our opening he has been com-ing here especially on Sun-day’s”, Executive Chef Amiro Cruz says. Using Grade A Prime dry-aged beef adds a robust flavor unlike any other steak in NYC!


BOLD BEARDS MENThe Grooming Issue

‘THERE’S A LIGHT IN

CAROLINA’ AN IN-DEPTH

INTERVIEW WITH #BLACKLIVESMATTER

SOUTH CAROLINA

A CULTURE GROWS IN HAITI,

FROM THE HEART OF PRAIJJE

AMPLE TIME WITH AMPL

BACKPACKS

+

ISSUE 4

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DDM Mag Issue No. 4 - The Grooming Issue

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