I'm a filmmaker with a penchant for traveling. I started out wanting to be a commercial airline pilot, and though I'm still interested in aviation, my life led me to pursue filmmaking my entire adult life. I've focused my career on doing socially-conscious and crucially-relevant films about topics like disability and HIV awareness in sub-Saharan Africa, healthcare in Liberia, access to the best educational opportunities here in the U.S., access to healthcare in rural America, the School-to-Prison Pipeline, re-integrating non-violent offenders into society through art, U.S. Labor Movements and how it's shaped the America we have today when it comes to workers' rights, and most recently, a documentary film about Police-Community relations.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For the past year and a half, I've been collaborating with a colleague of mine on a documentary about Police-Community Relations, called 'WALKING WHILE BLACK: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer.' It deals with the issues of racial profiling, cognitive psychology, implicit bias, the importance of emotional intelligence, and how we can, in our own way, put love into action in our communities. In the context of our film, the Acronym L.O.V.E. stands for LEARN about the people in your community, OPEN your heart and have empathy, VOLUNTEER to be part of the solution in others' lives, and EMPOWER others to do the same. We've spent the past few months showing this film to packed venues in educational institutions, religious bodies, community organizations, all while having continued support from police organizations and elected officials all over the country.

Over the next year, my film co-Producer and I will be touring the country, showing the film and engaging audiences in day-long L.O.V.E. Is The Answer Conference events, featuring our film, and including a Q&A, roundtable discussions, workshops, and other activities. Now, while I could simply stay in a hotel, I'm open to the idea of couchsurfing for some of the cities we visit in the U.S. You see, when I give artist talks at high schools and colleges and career day events, the question I keep getting is, "How do you find work in your industry?" And my usual response is "It's not what you know OR who you know; it's who knows YOU! So place yourself in the direct path of the people you'd like to meet." And with that, I believe couchsurfing is a way that I can listen to my own advice, and apply it to the personal connections I make day-to-day.

Interests

• photography
• cooking
• movies
• hiking
• road trips
• cinematography
• independent cinema
• singing in the shower

Music, Movies, and Books

I've spent over a decade collecting music, so it's really hard to nail down a particular genre. But I guess, I would say: Alternative Rock, Americana, Artsy, weird, funky, bubbly music, [cough]country[cough], house, ethereal, hip hop, latin jazz, oldies, reggae, rock, and movie soundtracks.

My favorite movies, wow! I'm a filmmaker, so this is a tough one. True Grit, Any James Bond film, Birdman, Black Swan, American Sniper, Trumbo. I'll stop here, and update this when I'm no longer drawing a blank.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In the summer of 2014, I went on a 40-day, 40-night, cross-country road trip along route 66, by myself, camping in a tent and sleeping under the stars. It was an incredible opportunity for me to reflect in peace, and I learned a lot about myself, and about roughing it in the woods.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to teach, and would gladly share knowledge on filmmaking, photography, cooking Jamaican food, digital arts like photo and video editing.

I want to learn about your city/town, what makes your neighborhood tick, what are your quirks, and what are some of the social nuances that influence it in the context of your community?

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share knowledge and recipes, and if you'd like to come to one of my film screenings in the area, certainly, you can be placed on my guest list.

Countries I’ve Visited

Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Canada, France, Liberia, Morocco, Netherlands, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Jamaica, United States, Zimbabwe