ReBrandTheBlackMan is committed to changing the way the global community views and evaluates the Black male. Within the context of “perception is reality”, Black men have been cast as one dimensional, lazy, & unessential. Much of what the Black man is and does has been exploited and devalued. It is our mission to highlight the valuable contributions that have been made and are being made by Black men all across the globe, and provide individual and collective examples for a positive change in the contemporary worldview. ReBrandTheBlackMan’s hope is that the actions taken here become contagious and infect people’s preconceived ideas about what Black men do and who Black men are. At the origin, and throughout the building of this nation Black men have demonstrated various skill sets and occupations along with a will to adapt and survive. Within ReBrandTheBlackMan’s motivation resides a positivist demeanor and a need to contribute to the human spirit and the understanding that everything has genius.
Dr. Thurman E. Webb Jr., Assistant Professor of Psychology, College of Education, Tennessee State University. Dr. Webb serves as coordinator and provides instruction for the College of Education in the Professional School Counseling program. He is also the lead instructor for Psychology of the Black Experience at Tennessee State University. Dr. Webb received his B.S. degree in Psychology from Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee; M.S. Psychology: Professional School Counseling from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee; and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Teaching and Learning (Leading for Social Change) from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Webb is a Licensed Professional School Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor. The counseling profession is a labor of love for him and has resulted in a productive, 10 year career, in Metro Nashville Public Schools as a Licensed Professional School Counselor, as well as a counselor educator for the past 7 years at Tennessee State University. As a licensed professional school counselor and a licensed professional counselor Dr. Webb has played both a proactive and reactionary role in the educational mindsets of learners of all types. In August of 2017, Dr. Webb and colleagues established 180 RED (Research, Education, Development) LLC and IMANI Integrated Behavioral Health PLLC. IMANI (IBH) is designed to provide counseling / therapy services and psychological testing, while 180 RED is geared toward workshops and training in the area of integrated behavioral health. He is the founder of the nonprofit Rebrand the Black Man, an organization geared toward showcasing the many contributions Black men make to the global community; and Founder/CEO of Centered Person Consulting, a consulting firm design to bring out the best in people and organizations through increasing cultural proficiency. He is the recent recipient of the Dr. Charles Thompson Counselor Educator of the Year award from the Tennessee Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. He currently serves as the faculty adviser for both Tennessee State University’s NAACP student organization and The Association for Black Psychologist. Dr. Webb’s many research publications and presentations are aligned with the success of underrepresented populations, as well as successful creation and/or implementation of pedagogical strategies that enhance collective learning, ensure cultural proficiency, and are immediately resilient (sustainable).
DR. THURMAN E. WEBB, JR.
Founder/Visionary
Tony Minnifee was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. His college experience consisted of valuable tutelage in the area of Business Management at Lockyear College in the small town of Simpsonville, Kentucky. His college experience lead him to transition into the U.S. Navy, where he spent four years as an Intelligence Specialist and lived in Keflavik, Iceland for 2 ½ years. His Navy career afforded him various positions in the military and private sector spanning a 12 year period in manufacturing.
Tony’s thirst for progression lead him to seek alternate opportunities in the business sector. He went back to school after deciding that IT was the wave of the future. Building his experience working in a myriad of contracting jobs, Tony eventually worked his way into an employment opportunity at a fortune 500 banking institution. Over the past decade Tony has ascended from basic client service (Helpdesk), to becoming Vice President of a Global Infrastructure Team.
Tony has been married to his wife for the past 20 years, and they parent 3 wonderful children. Through Tony’s commitment to providing his family the things he was lacking as a child, he has nurtured his son into numerous Division one college opportunities, as well as providing the entire family with FATHERLY Love and guidance.
As he progresses, he is looking forward to changing the narrative for black men, not just in America, but across the globe. His hope is that Rebrand The Blackman will become a catalyst for change in how the world views black men holistically. Black men make up 6% of the US population, which means there are at least 20 million black males. There’s an extreme disconnect with what’s being told, and the stark reality that there are some great Black men. If we were all as bad as some would like others to believe, America would be in chaos. He refuses to let that narrative continue to ring true for those that want to buy into it. His hope is that everyone that gets involved with this movement of positivity will be a beacon of light to others for the sake of our children.
TONY MINNIFEE
Chief Information Officer
Keith Mason was born in Washington D.C. but at a very young age moved to Lexington, KY, with his mother and 3 siblings. As a young man, Keith was neither a stranger to the streets nor the adversities that came with frequenting them, but the streets taught him lifelong lessons that fueled his vision and passion for entrepreneurship and serving his community. He learned that hard work leads to empowerment, no matter your skillset, and free enterprise opens the door to unlimited opportunities. Hoping to enhance his business knowledge, Keith attended college in Lexington, but his plans were suddenly interrupted by a business opportunity that brought him to Nashville, TN. After working in business management for several years, Keith decided it was time to take a leap of faith into entrepreneurship, starting his first company in 2005 called University Clothing in Lebanon, TN. He sold the company in 2008 and decided to start a nonprofit organization called Transitional Housing & Work Programs of Davidson Co., INC (THWP) whose mission is to help formerly incarcerated individuals attain housing and employment. As a self-sustaining company, THWP spawned an event space called Venue109 that provides jobs and revenue for his nonprofit.
Keith and his wife have been married for 22 years, and they are the parents of three boys. Rebrand the Black Man’s mantra hit home for Keith due to the current climate of injustices being inflicted on young black males. Knowing that raising sons in this type of environment was going to be an extremely challenging task, Rebrand the Black Man became a lifeline for Keith because it had something he desperately needed to see—real solutions and real brothers who were willing to affect positive change—and looking around the community there were no other answers. Keith’s role with Rebrand is to teach people of color, particularly young black males, how to see themselves through an intricately different lens and by doing so transform the way they view themselves because before change can occur we must first realize our self-worth. Keeping his vision alive, Rebrand the Black Man is a gateway for Keith to use his business experience and street savvy to serve in the community.
KEITH MASON
Executive Director
