BLACK BOYS, a full-length documentary produced by Chad Williamson (‘10), has been announced as one of the original films picked up by Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, and will be available to the public on September 10.
Executive produced by activist and two-time Super Bowl champion Malcolm Jenkins and written and directed by Sonia Lowman, BLACK BOYS is a documentary film that celebrates the full humanity of Black men and boys in America. Utilizing conversations and stories around education, criminal justice and sports, the film reveals the emotional landscape of those experiencing racism and invites us to reimagine an America in which Black boys experience true belonging and unlimited possibilities.
The documentary features interviews with activist and rapper Vic Mensa, NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, two-time Super Bowl champion Greg Scruggs, NFL Hall of Fame inductee Cris Carter, Super Bowl champion Chris Long, award-winning sports journalist Jemele Hill, poet/activist Malcolm London, and former U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. John King Jr.
BLACK BOYS has been selected for the American Black Film Festival, Montreal International Black Film Festival, Bentonville Film Festival, and Toronto Black Film Festival.
Williamson, who was the first producer on the film, originally connected with Lowman when the director was making Teach Us All, a 2017 documentary available on Netflix and that looks at social justice and educational inequality set against the backdrop of the 1957 Little Rock Central High School crisis.
“We got connected and I set up a shoot for her in my classroom at eSTEM, that’s how we met,” Williamson said. “I told her about my passion for Black male achievement in education, something I’d been passionate about for more than a decade, really since I became a teacher. When her film was acquired in 2017, she called me and asked if I was still interested and asked if I’d like to help make a film. That’s when we really started talking about BLACK BOYS.”
Additionally, Williamson and his film company, Never Whisper Justice, which combines bold storytelling and concrete social impact, are building a learning management system around the film. More information can be found at FrontLinesofJustice.com.
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