About the ExceptionAL project

The Motivation

In recent years, media has been saturated with stories of Black men losing their lives at the hands of law enforcement officials.  These tragedies have spurred countless debates and discussions, many of which almost always offer an incomplete picture of the men being discussed.  

The virtual exchange on Meet the Press between former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Professor Michael Eric Dyson in November of 2014 is a prime example*.   While discussing the recently decided grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri’s Michael Brown case, Giuliani commented, 

“We Are Talking About The Exception Here…
We Are Talking About The Significant Exception…” -Giuliani

Giuliani's use of "exception" to describe the lives lost at the hands of law enforcement officials is troubling, to say the least. The men who have been murdered without cause or due process were no "exception" to the mothers that bore them for nine months, the children who now live life with no father, and certainly no exception to the countless friends and loved ones who mourn them daily.

The Movement

The book ExceptionAL: Black Men Leading, Living, and Loving challenges the current narrative by presenting the positive images and narratives of 32 Black men. 

The ExceptionAL Project, an extension of the text, seeks to promote sustained solutions focused dialogue that results in real change such as implicit bias training.  Further, The ExceptionAL Project aims to ensure that images and narratives like the ones in the book are seen and read across our country and ultimately throughout our world. 

GOAL 1.

Consistently amplify the beauty, brilliance, and humanity of Black men and boys.  Looks like…ExceptionAL Black men and Boys acknowledged on social media platforms each week.

GOAL 2.

Engage in sustained solutions focused dialogue with key stakeholders and those who want to be a part of the change.  Looks like…The Dialogue: Real People. Real Talk. Real Change (beginning August 2020)

GOAL 3.

ExceptionAL…used as a resource to support Identity development and Implicit Bias Training.  Looks like…curriculum used in schools and by government agencies (by August 2022)