Welcome to the Evolving Man Project’s ‘Evolved Man of the Week’ profiles. Each week we will highlight an individual that embodies what it means to be an evolved man, famous and non-famous men alike. The world needs to know their stories and deeds. This week’s honor goes to actor, artist, activist, and former pro-football player, Terry A. Crews.
Terry Crews played Julius Rock on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris and Nick Kingston-Persons in the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?. He has also hosted the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and starred in the BET reality series The Family Crews. He has appeared in films such as White Chicks, Idiocracy, The Longest Yard, and the Expendables series. Since 2013, he has played NYPD Sergeant Terry Jeffords in the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Mr. Crews played as a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and Washington Redskins, as well as in the World League of American Football with Rhein Fire, and college football at Western Michigan University. Terry Crews was born and raised in Flint, Michigan.
Mr. Crews, a public advocate for women’s rights and activist against sexism, has shared stories of the abuse his family endured at the hands of his violent father. He was included among the group of people named as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2017 for going public with stories of sexual assault. Terry Crews got nominated for various awards, such as; Screen Actors Guild, Teen Choice, NAACP, and NAMIC Awards.
Here are Terry Crews in his own words about challenging toxic masculinity and being an ally to both women and men who have suffered from sexual assault.
“I’d actually just read a comment someone made on Twitter about one of Weinstein’s accusers. It went something like: She’s just looking for attention and a payday. It really affected me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I remember going to my phone and I started writing. And I couldn’t stop. What it became was this sixteen-tweet missive from me. I just remember having to say what I felt. I was really angry because these women were being discounted. These women were being discarded. Their pain was just—it was nothing. I wanted to join in. I wanted to say something. I wanted to support. But I did have to let these women know they weren’t alone. And that I understood. My whole mission was to give them strength. Don’t accept the shame that people are giving you. Because that’s what it was. They were being shamed. They were being victimized again. I just couldn’t stand for it.”
Terry Crews has broken down barriers and continued to shatter stereotypes around race, manhood, and masculinity. He is a true definition of an ‘evolved’ man in the #MeToo era. Today we honor Terry Crews has our Evolved Man of the Week.
Evolving Man Project 