Byron Hurt
Encyclopedia
Byron Patrick Hurt is an American
activist and documentary
filmmaker.
as a quarterback
, and founded God Bless the Child Productions before graduating with a degree in Journalism
in 1993. Upon graduation he was hired by the university's Center for the Study of Sport in Society to help form the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program with the purpose of educating young men about gender and sexual violence. This experience led Hurt to produce and direct the documentary I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America. After noticing the repeated theme of machismo
in numerous rap music videos, Hurt then set about creating Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes
, an exploration of the pervasive issues of masculinity
, sexism
, violence
and homophobia
in hip-hop culture. Hurt is also the former associate director of the United States Marine Corps
gender violence prevention program. On September 30, 2006, Byron Hurt married Kenya Felice Crumel at their home in Plainfield, New Jersey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
activist and documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
filmmaker.
Biography
Byron Hurt attended Northeastern University, where he played footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and founded God Bless the Child Productions before graduating with a degree in Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
in 1993. Upon graduation he was hired by the university's Center for the Study of Sport in Society to help form the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program with the purpose of educating young men about gender and sexual violence. This experience led Hurt to produce and direct the documentary I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America. After noticing the repeated theme of machismo
Machismo
Machismo, or machoism, is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origin that describes prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism...
in numerous rap music videos, Hurt then set about creating Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes is a 2006 documentary film written, produced, and directed by Byron Hurt. The documentary explores the issues of masculinity, violence, homophobia and sexism in hip hop music and culture, through interviews with artists, academics and fans...
, an exploration of the pervasive issues of masculinity
Masculinity
Masculinity is possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man. The term can be used to describe any human, animal or object that has the quality of being masculine...
, sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
, violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
and homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
in hip-hop culture. Hurt is also the former associate director of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
gender violence prevention program. On September 30, 2006, Byron Hurt married Kenya Felice Crumel at their home in Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
.
Filmography
- Moving Memories: The Black Senior Video Yearbook
- I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America
- Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and RhymesHip-Hop: Beyond Beats and RhymesHip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes is a 2006 documentary film written, produced, and directed by Byron Hurt. The documentary explores the issues of masculinity, violence, homophobia and sexism in hip hop music and culture, through interviews with artists, academics and fans...
- Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture