Black Men On The Couch

When one of the greatest musicians of his generation requests your presence  on stage  in front of fifty thousand people the answer you give is “Yes”.  But I was already booked  at in Stratford called Black Men on The Couch.  It’s where a  black  psychotherapist  interviews a black male personality  on stage in front of a live audience. No subject  was off limits.The temptation to cancel and accept the other offer was too big to ignore but  impossible to accept.  Black Men On The Couch was the first event of its kind in the UK and  sold out. It was revealing, kinda scarey but unique and fascinating. It lasted an hour followed by questions from the audience.  Then came neither question nor statement  but  a monologue, a rant. He stated his  name and his position before his rant began. The audience was stunned.I wondered how his outburst might affect a vulnerable young black men who may have attended the event thinking of seeking help.   For days I received emails from audience members  to “apologise for the attack” made all the worse by the nature of the event.  The gentleman who forced the outburst was  chair of UKCP who funded Black Men on the Couch to encourage the black community into considering  therapy if needed.   Go Figure.