Premiere Screening - Black Fatherhood: The Other Hood

A note from David Goodman

After George Floyd was killed in 2020, I spent a stretch of time being angry and wondering what to do. One thing that ate at me was the dehumanization of Mr. Floyd, and I kept thinking - that if people could actually see the humanity in Black men, they might respond to us differently. But that's an enormous thing to take on, and I had no real idea where to start.

So, I started with fatherhood, which came out of a conversation with a close friend.

Everybody has heard the narrative that Black men aren't around for their kids. It gets repeated so often that people say it without thinking about whether it's true. In reality, fatherless children is a problem across every community in this country, but the idea that it's a Black problem is simply wrong.

So I spent a few years filming men who are there. Fathers who get up every morning, go to work, and show up for their children. It isn't a perfect picture and I didn't want it to be. At times, we’ve all fallen short. But falling short is a human thing, not a Black thing, and being defined by a myth isn't fair to anyone.

That's the documentary. It's called The Black Fatherhood: The Other Hood.

Humanity Pictures is a Camden production company. I started it in 2020 to tell stories that move people to think differently.

— David

November 19th, we're showing it in Camden first

Doors at 6:00 PM at the Walter K. Gordon Theater on the Rutgers–Camden campus. We'll screen the film start to finish, and then I'll come out on stage with several of the fathers for a live panel.

It won't be a scripted Q&A. We'll talk, and then we'll open it up to the room.

It's free, but you need a ticket

Admission doesn't cost anything, but every seat has to be claimed through here, and once they're gone they're gone. It takes about thirty seconds. Register today!

Bring somebody with you

Bring your kids if they're old enough to sit through it. Bring your father. Bring the man who raised you.

Teachers and professors: if you want to bring a class, email us at Humanitypictures@gmail.com and we'll hold seats so your group can sit together. High school and university students are welcome here. If you're studying film, education, social work, criminal justice, communications, or Africana studies, there's a lot in this film and on that panel for you.

And if you have no personal connection to any of this, come anyway. It's a good film, and it's free.

Getting there

Walter K. Gordon Theater, Fine Arts Building, Rutgers University–Camden
314 Linden Street, Camden, NJ 08102

Free Parking available onsite.

PATCO to City Hall or Broadway station, or NJ Transit into Camden.

The theater is wheelchair accessible and there are no obstructed views.

Questions: Email Humanitypictures@gmail.com