“People often assume I’m either angry, scary, or even dangerous based off the fact that I’m 6’3” and a man of color. It can have its advantages, but it still hurts. If some people just took the time to get to know me, they’d realize that despite what they think I can be quite approachable. Not only do I love people, but I also love to make them laugh.

For many years the media has depicted people of color as these violent, intimidating, and rude individuals. Being an actor myself, I feel that the only available roles for me are either “basketball player” or “thug”. Though, it has gotten much better over the years, Hollywood has a lot more work to do.

Campaigns such as #WeSmileToo are significant because this country is full of small-minded people that still believe in century-old stereotypes and that needs to change. One great way of doing that is raising awareness. With the help of campaigns like this, people can finally see there’s more to us than just a great body. We are caring, loving, and sensitive people.”