A different kind of tour is making a stop in Atlanta this weekend.
Filmmaker Brian Ellison, anthropologist Marlon Hall, and sculptor Anthony Suber began a series of conversations this fall surrounding what it means to be a vulnerable black man.
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Following stops in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Seattle, and New York City, Hall is bringing his curated dinner series to Atlanta.
The UnMASKulinity Tour hosted by The Black Man Project features a moving sculpture by Suber and a conversation centered on self-taught photographer Ellison's upcoming documentary, "UnMASKulinity." It stops at Emory University Saturday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. The discussion will involve 16 men from varying backgrounds following a day of shooting in Atlanta for next year's documentary.
The structured talk, in partnership with the self-love organization Black Men Smile, will include original music and a resident culinary artist's work. Ellison, Hall and Suber will collaborate with artists and educators to develop a curriculum for the dinner that will foster conversations well past dinner's end. The goal is to explore men's stories and gain information for the documentary.
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“We have to be willing to be vulnerable in order to be whole. However, this cannot happen if the structure that black men can relate to most does not exist,” said Hall, a practitioner and storyteller, in a press release. “Gathering around the table – be it dinner with family, cards with your friends, or out on the town with friends – is something that is all-too-familiar within the black community. We hope it feels like home.”
Suber, who is also an educator, hopes his artwork will encourage guests to "remove their masks" throughout the evening. Mental Health America reports that black men are especially concerned about the stigma associated with getting mental health help.
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