On the outside, it seemed that Donovan McKenzie had it all. He’s good looking, a great basketball player and was the guy that would have no problem getting the most popular girl in high school.
But on the inside, it was a different story.
“My childhood was very, very rough,” said Donovan McKenzie, founder of Heart of a Man. “I suffered a lot of physical and verbal abuse. I was hurt, I was bullied, which caused me to develop a lot of anger in my heart.”
For McKenzie, these were his earliest memories and what he perceived as normal.
“I’d say from when I was about nine years old to about 30 years old, I was very fake. I thought I had to put on a show for everyone. I could not be myself because I wanted to impress everyone.”
But after all this pain and suffering throughout his life, including attempted suicides and the loss of both his mother and grandmother to cancer, he woke up one morning and recalled he had no choice but to listen to his heart felt the need to redefine manhood.
“Pain, passion, purpose. We’re redefining manhood,” said McKenzie. “Heart of a Man is helping men be themselves and open up their hearts.”
The organization is the monthly support group for men from all walks of life where they can voice their feelings, cry without judgment and build each other up.
“My whole belief system used to be, ‘Fon’t try and you won’t fail.” But now it’s like, “You fail if you don’t try,” participant Damian McGregor said.
“I was born to help men, to let them know they can express their hearts,” said McKenzie. “Opening your hearts, crying if you need to cry, share your struggles, your pain and your passion.”
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