R.E.S.T. highlights the pressures Black men face and urges them to prioritize rest

NEW YORK — Black Public Media has released a new short film that centers Black men and examines why rest remains difficult for many of them.

R.E.S.T., created by Broadway veteran Doron JéPaul, premiered June 15 on Black Public Media’s YouTube channel as part of its AfroPoP Digital Shorts series. The film arrives ahead of Father’s Day and focuses on rest as a form of release, renewal and survival for Black men.

The film asks a central question drawn from JéPaul’s experiences and observations: “Why don’t Black men rest?” According to the press release, the project grew from four planned shorts. Release, Expect, Surrender and Trust before JéPaul combined them into one film following his father’s 2022 mental health crisis.

Film Connects Rest to Black Men’s Mental and Emotional Burdens

Anchoring the short is JéPaul’s original song “Why Not,” written after he witnessed the 2016 killing of Philando Castile on Facebook Live. The press release states that the moment deepened his awareness of the “heavy burdens Black men often carry,” shaping the film’s themes and emotional direction.

The film serves as a personal message to JéPaul’s father and, by extension, to Black men who navigate stress, trauma and expectations that leave little room for rest.

Part of BPM’s Effort to Sustain Black Storytelling

R.E.S.T. is the latest installment in the AfroPoP Digital Shorts series, an extension of Black Public Media’s Peabody Award‑winning AfroPoP franchise. The nonprofit continues producing new work despite a 2025 Congressional rescission that removed $1.8 million from its budget. In response, BPM launched the Black Stories Production Fund to protect Black storytelling from political and financial instability.

BPM director of programs Denise A. Greene described the film as an invitation for Black men to pause and heal, noting its connection to earlier AfroPoP Digital Shorts projects that explore healthier expressions of masculinity.

R.E.S.T. is executive produced by Mike Edmonds and Thermostat Media.

The film is available to watch on Black Public Media’s YouTube channel.