charles renfrow

BLKBND 005 | CHARLES RENFROW /  by VANNGA NGUYEN

This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we published "BLKBND," on the Rise of the Urban Creative, framed by the self-crafted BLK male identity, and the BND of historical brotherhood. See the full editorial here.

Then we asked each BLKBND share a piece of himself.

BLKBND 005

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BRAND STRATEGIST

Who are you? 

was born in Washington DC. I grew up in a single parent household as an only child. And although we actually owned our tiny row house in the S.E. side of DC I grew up directly across the street from one of DC most notorious neighborhoods, East Capitol Dwelling, 600 nit public housing complex.

What words do you live by?

Perseverance. Determination. Fearlessness.

Describe yourself, today, in 3 words.

Optimistic. Inspired. Sincere. 

Describe the man you aspire to be, 3 words.

Inspirational. Helpful. Respected.

What do you fear?

Time.

What are you proud of?

The life and relationships I've created for myself. 

What are you searching for? 

'FUCK YOU' money.

How will you find it?

Relentless effort. 

Who do you want to become? What do you want to accomplish?

My ultimate goal is to use my skills as a tool to craft and create amazing stories through film. 

What have you created in yourself, for yourself, and of yourself, to put forth in pursuit of your creative goals?

Confidence. 

What's a pivotal moment or opportunity—whether existential or circumstantial—that's brought you to where you are today, as a man and a creative?

At 22 I had very little in the way of direction. I also was of the mindset that in order to accomplish anything of note in life you had to come from particular stock or have a certain pedigree. t that time I had a chance meeting with a guy who happened to graduate Harvard Law at the top of his class with a 4.0 GPA. After a few days of idle conversation he made an observation and statement. He stated "I think you should re-think who you think you are, I went to school with people who aren't remotely as intelligent as you." That one comment from such an influential source was a turning point for me that dramatically changed the trajectory of my journey.

As a BLK male, how have you crafted the persona that you present to the world?

By being unrelenting in my genuine understanding of my value and always working to ensure that I accept nothing less than my worth.

Speak to your style philosophy. What does it mean to you?

I like simple, basic, clean, and classic style. I feel like clothing should be an extension of you rather than a mask.

The BLK BND is an agent of life. What code of behavior and knowledge does he/do you use to navigate the world as an agent of the black male identity?

Be relevant. Be intense. Be strategic. Be a force for advancement. 

BLK BND also signifies a brotherhood, the bond between men who understand where they come from, and the mindful positioning of self to create success for themselves. How does that come into play in your life? What signifies success to you?

tability and self-ownership are the most illusive characteristics for black men. Finding away to create that stability in your life while maintaining ownership of your time and integrity are the ultimate demonstrations of the BLKBND. I've tried to manifest those pillars in my life and hopefully the expression of that can serve as a blueprint for many more of us to do the same.