There is a reason why stories connect us. Why they help us find meaning and greater understanding in the world. Culturally, stories have been used for generations to preserve history, but brain science will also tell us that when you’re engaged in a narrative by a storyteller, similar areas of the brain will react as if your brain and the brain of the storyteller are in sync. That may be why we depend on narratives to build understanding. But should we?
In the recent Discovery+ and Oprah Winfrey Network docu-series, “Profiled: The Black Man” takes aim at the stereotype-driven narratives surrounding the experience of Black men in America. From myths about everything from fatherhood to emotional processing, “Profiled” combines historical context and personal narratives to interrogate those stereotypes and fill a gap in the content focusing on the Black community. When Trell Thomas, the show’s creator, went in search of content focusing on the positive aspects of Black men he came up short and turned to close mentor Tina Knowles-Lawson for guidance. “In the words of my husband Richard Lawson,” Mrs. Knowles-Lawson replied, “‘If you don’t see it, create it.’” Based on her own experiences seeing the Black men in her life be profiled and misunderstood, Knowles-Lawson knew there was a need to portray all of who she knew Black men to be. “We just want to dispel some of the myths surrounding our men,” she expressed. From there, the two went on to build the project based on their first- and secondhand experiences of what it means to be a Black man in America.
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In a recent episode, the docu-series took on a belief held by some that Black men don’t value Black women. That, in fact, media coverage might lead one to believe that Black men actively withhold support and avoid relationships with Black women because of how they’re portrayed — a myth the docuseries goes on to challenge. With the help of historical context surrounding the concepts of colorism and common archetypes used to represent Black women, “Profiled” explored the root of the myth from multiple angles with data being the first.
Contrary to media portrayals that could make it seem as if Black men and women don’t build strong, lasting marriages, a 2017 study found that 85% of Black men were married to Black women. The problem, “Profiled” asserts, is that these narratives aren’t as visible across media as they are in reality. Ray and Roslyn Singleton became a sensation when they boldly shared how their love was pulling them through one of the toughest obstacles the two could have imagined. Roslyn lived six years cancer-free after fiercely battling brain cancer through aggressive treatments and surgeries before the two saw her cancer return before their wedding anniversary. Before a scheduled surgery in 2020, Ray sat Roslyn beside him and expressed his love and adoration through song. The two quickly went viral and their kind of love exists across the Black community.
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The docu-series digs even deeper to consider how the myth could have come to be by illustrating popular archetypes dating back to enslavement that have been used to portray Black women. The Mammy, whose purpose is found solely in caring for others, never portrayed as traditionally beautiful or attractive, but rather as a mother figure for those around her. The Jezebel whose attractiveness is portrayed as more lustful and sin-filled than wholesome, and finally the Sapphire whose demeanor was rooted in anger and bitterness.
These caricatures that began on paper adverts and stages in the 1800s built the foundation for stories of Black women whose characters were not sexually appealing or who only existed to be sexual. Black women who were alluring in an attempt to trap an unassuming man or so bitter and angry that you wouldn’t get close. Characters that have created beliefs and mindsets around who Black women are for those that lack the knowledge, and in the words of Dr. Allycin Powell Hicks “can only serve to close off who [Black women] truly are.”
The stereotypes and myths that can surround the Black experience in America hardly capture the complicated and diverse beauty of who we are. This particular episode of “Profiled” shed necessary light on what it can mean for Black men and women to see relationships and love stories that look like their own, if for no other reason than to demonstrate the possibility. “I never doubted I would find love again because it’s in my nature,” Knowles-Lawson shared. “I’m blessed to have someone who I feel is my soulmate and my best friend,” she said underscoring the importance of sharing our stories when possible. The way that we counter the narratives about the absence or inhumanity of Black men is by sharing and elevating the narratives of the opposite – demonstrating for ourselves and our society that we’re so much more than what can be captured in media.
“Profiled: The Black Man” is exclusively available on Discovery+ and episodes will air on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network later this year.
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