The Student Government Association held a 100 Men in Suits photoshoot in the N.C. A&T Student Center on Nov. 14.
The event was coordinated by the 18th Mr. A&T, Brentavious Boyd.
“I always saw it on other campuses, specifically with HBCUs, so it was one of my main initiatives to bring it to A&T, but put some spin to it,” said Boyd.
Similar shoots have been held at Prairie View A&M and Bowie State University.
The spin Boyd added was centering the photoshoot around the Black men on campus and providing them with mental health resources. Attendees were able to scan a QR code to learn about resources.
“I did it to provide other men with resources and it was a way for me to just highlight and unite Black men on this campus and different versions of Black men on this campus,” said Boyd.
Another twist Boyd implemented was free haircuts for students before the shoot. No Grease Greensboro offered haircuts on campus ensuring participating students could look and feel their best.
“I knew I was going to come in with a fresh cut, but how do I know the men on this campus would be able to have the same thing going for themselves,” said Boyd.
Highlighting diverse perspectives
Diversity was a key point of the shoot and Boyd was intentional in featuring men from a range of organizations on campus.
Junior sustainable land & food systems major Miles Lee attended the event; Lee is a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Photographer: Cameron Smith
Caption: Brentavious Boyd shares mental health & wellness information to A&T students
“I felt it was important to come out to the event to make it more common to see [Black men] in suits and I don’t think it’s much of a rarity, but I think it can be rare to see us all together,” said Lee.
Many times the full spectrum of Black men are not represented; Boyd invited members of N.C. A&T LGBTQIA organizations as well.
Senior graphic design major Isaiah Herbin attended the event to represent for Black gay men and show he is more than his sexual orientation.
“It was important to come out to represent for the Black gay community and just to put on for guys like us that don’t feel like they fit in and have a space in this world,” said Herbin.
The space was also a welcoming environment for freshmen males that haven’t quite found their footing on campus yet.
Freshman business management student Camden Allen came out to support the effort.
“I just felt like it was important to represent as a freshmen because I know a lot of freshmen are not very active in organizations, so I felt like it was important to come out with 100 men in suits and just see all my professional Black brothers out here,” said Allen.
Senior automotive engineering & technology major Josiah Johnson leads Men on the Move, which participates in community service and other male enrichment activities on campus.
“I felt empowered. I think oftentimes we don’t have a lot of this in society so when we do have rare instances when we do it can be very empowering and monumental,” said Johnson.
Boyd hopes to continue the event in the future, but can’t promise one in the upcoming spring 2025 semester. He hopes to foster and grow the event for future generations of A&T males.
