Original subtitles

So, Well,

we are in the middle

of New York City

at the New York

Public Library.

This is

beautiful.

This is a full

circle moment for me

because this

is my

first job ever.

Ever.

I was 14

years old.

14.

14 years old.

Just got my

working papers.

And my mom was

like, "You're not

going to go flip

burgers.

You're going to

go downtown.

You're going to

try to find a

reputable job."

So that's why I

came here.

Well, it's

special because

this is where I

met my first

mentor ever.

His name

was Omar.

Omar.

Omar was, and if

he's watching,

man, Omar, thank

you for

everything you

did for me.

Omar taught me a

lot about what it

meant to be a

man, what it

meant to be

self-sufficient,

what it meant to

be disciplined

and follow

your dreams.

At 14 years old.

So when you think

about that in the

full circle

moment for me,

that's why I do

what I do.

That's why I

launch the lives

of men because I

grew up without a

consistent

father figure

at home.

I had to learn

how to be a man

in large part by

making a lot of

mistakes and

trial and

error.

And oftentimes

young men are

just lacking that

opportunity to

have someone to

show them

the way.

And so I wanted

to create a

platform that was

in part something

that I

needed growing

up, but also

something that

could be of

service to young

men growing up

nowadays

with a similar

background.

So the lives of

men is dedicated

to helping men

explore healthier

and more

inclusive forms

of masculinity.

And really

challenging those

stereotypes of

what we grew up

knowing is the

machista

attitudes, the

attitudes of men

can do no wrong,

we can't cry, we

can't emote.

I want to debunk

all of that.

And so that's the

work that

I do today.

To me, it's that

how we become men

is like they say

it takes a

village to

raise men.

And I think that

one of the things

that you're going

to do in your

project is

to try to make

sure that you

showcase that

journey, right?

How people

become men.

In my case, I

felt the

same way.

If I would have

never been

exposed to a lot

of mentors like

that, I don't

think that

my father alone,

I know that my

father was always

active, but I

don't

think my father

would have told

me everything

that I am.

So men teach men

how to be men.

And I am so

looking forward

to your project,

you know, and

being part of it.

Anything else

that you want to

talk about that

project?

I want to say

right now,

there's a lot of

conversation

about the

masculinity

crisis

and how men are

struggling to

find community,

to find

opportunity, to

build

relationships.

And I think it's

part of what you

said, right?

It's not only

having men around

you to help you

become a man, but

it's also

developing

the social

skills,

developing the

emotional

intelligence to

be able to go out

in the world

and exist and be

who you are, the

fullest

expression of who

you are.

And so that's

what I'm hoping

to spark is, you

know,

conversation to

build community

around that, to

really help men

sort of come out

of this quagmire

of sorts that

we've been

in and really

just be the men

and the leaders

that we've been

destined to be.

Healthy relationship with

men has been so

difficult in my

journey, right?

Because you have

to hold back many

times when you go

into a group of

men that

are not secure

or not healthy.

And I love it.

I'm looking

forward to

seeing this.

I'm looking

forward to

showing my sons

the difference,

you know.

So, Jason, mano.

Para siempre.