THE STORYTELLERS
In 2012, the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education approached the Washington Post with a question: Can we partner on a project that says something new and fresh about black men in America? So one afternoon a group of African American men sat around a conference room table and came up with an idea: how about getting a range of black men to talk about one word that spoke to universal human truths. Several months later, Post editor Chris Jenkins hired freelance storyteller Garrett Hubbard to help develop the vision and for 5 years the two have collaborated on this project that we hope, at least in a small way, helps give nuanced voice to the stories of black men in America.
CHRIS JENKINS
Executive Producer
Chris L. Jenkins is an award winning journalist and executive producer who has written about politics, poverty and social policy over his 15-year career at The Washington Post.
Most recently, he supervised the Post's local political and criminal justice reporters, where he led award-winning journalism on police involved shootings in the Washington, D.C. area and the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement. He is also the co-founder and executive director of “BrotherSpeak: Exploring the Lives of Black Men”, an award winning 5-part video series published on the Washington Post website in 2013 and 2014, which is now being turned into a full length docu-series.
Chris graduated from The Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley in 2000 and immediately joined the Washington Post as a local reporter. He covered immigration, race, religion and local politics for three years before joining the Post's Richmond, Va. bureau where he began a 5-year career covering state and national politics, including the 2004 presidential election. In 2007, Chris contributed to The Post’s coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting massacre, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news.
Chris has also recently served as the managing editor for The Root.com and was co-founder and editor of TheRootDC, The Washington Post’s micro-site that focused on the Washington area’s African-American community. In both those roles he oversaw staffs that covered the death of Trayvon Martin and its aftermath, the George Zimmerman trial, and the beginning of President Obama's second term.
Chris is the author of several award winning stories, including journalism that explored how the 2008 recession disproportionately impacted African- American women.
Discussing his Post reporting, Chris has been on numerous news broadcasts including WAMU, WCVE and NPR.
GARRETT HUBBARD
Filmmaker/Editor
Garrett Hubbard is a visual storyteller because he believes in the power of authentic stories. He utilizes both video and still photography to connect his clients with their audience. Garrett believes that visual storytelling is the language that saturates our reality, and that stories revealing truth can change lives.
Garrett learned from some of the best storytellers out there—journalists. He has spent the past four years cultivating a documentary and narrative driven video style mixed with an artful photographic vision at USA TODAY. This work has taken him to the White House, the Olympics, The Royal Wedding, and many other places around the world. Prior to joining the USA TODAY staff, he had the opportunity to tell stories for The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Garrett’s work has been honored by some of the most prestigious awards in journalism including the National Press Photographers Association and White House News Photographers Association. These awards have landed him in the Oval Office twice to shake the President’s hand (Garrett opted instead for a fist bump and a high-five). These awards have given him a platform to speak around the country to teach others about the art of visual storytelling. More important than the recognition, Garrett has seen his work bring relief and partnership to some of the most difficult places on earth.
