I Should Not Be a Target
"I Should Not Be a Target" is a powerful and emotional stage play that follows the lives of four young men trying to navigate the pressures of growing up in a world that sees them as threats before individuals. Set in an urban community, the story unpacks their deeply personal family struggles, inner battles, and the weight of expectations they never asked to carry.
Brian is a high school basketball star forced to step into a fatherly role for his little brother after the death of their military dad. Malik is a teenage father trying to balance school, work, and fatherhood while living with his grandmother. Devin is the son of a strict pastor, silently grappling with his identity and fear of rejection. Ibn is caught between two faiths—his father's newfound Islamic beliefs and his mother's Christian roots—while trying to find himself in a world pulling him in opposite directions.
As their stories intertwine, I Should Not Be a Target explores themes of identity, masculinity, grief, love, and survival. It’s a raw, heartfelt look at what it means to grow up Black and male in a society that often misunderstands them. Through laughter, tears, and truth-telling, this play gives voice to young men too often silenced and reminds us all that behind every headline is a human story that deserves to be seen.
