Bully Magazine October 2020 All Men's Issue

As the chief editor of Bully magazine, I’d like to share my warmest appreciation to all the men that shared their story in the Special Edition dedicated to my son Joseph M. Travieso. Sr. I thank each of you for building the endurance to release the hidden emotions that each of you must deal with. This has been a long journey for most of you, and as you continue to battle every day with the dissatisfaction of the livelihood that is brought amongst you daily, you all continue to push forward. Continue to use your vision with dignity! Stand tall, Stand Strong, as God watches over you. He’s your refuge for strength and will always provide you the desires to your heart. You are all sons and honored men, who…

First and foremost, we want to sincerely thank everyone who is and will be a part of the Bully Magazine family. This magazine was created to inspire and redirect our thinking into the future when it pertains to our past pains and emotional wellbeing. As a man, I firsthand can understand how difficult it can be to release my emotions that has been bestowed upon me through life challenges. The men who decided it was time to talk up and out in this issue of Bully Magazine have our utmost respect, and we promise to continue to advocate for this cause as long as God sees fit to keep us healthy and with sound minds to do so. We humbly want to thank our readers and supporter’s past and future.…

Living life in Williamsburg, Virginia, was challenging. My parents had never married, so when they separated, it could’ve been painful but my mom ensured we made it through. I have two sisters and a brother, and I’m grateful that both my parents were very supportive during our upbringing. They are both still a part of my life. I was raised in a drug-infested community known as “Mooretown,” which was a high crime area. Most of the men that were in my neighborhood have been incarcerated multiple times. However, I and a few others were able to escape that lifestyle. A lot of the guys from my community did not make it to or through high school, so they didn’t get the opportunity to attend college. Watching this happen all around…

I joined the Navy in 1990, and my Bootcamp was across the country in San Diego, California. For an eighteen year-old young man from Ida Barbour in Portsmouth, VA, that was considered a great accomplishment. The streets back home had no love for me, just like it has no love for a lot of young black men today. I wanted to escape so badly, and college was out of the picture because I lacked the resources financially and mentally. My mother’s parental responsibility subsided around the age of thirteen, and I would consider that being the time that early manhood reared its ugly head. I was not alone because I hung with several guys that were in the same position. There wasn’t a father in the home, and drugs were…

My dream was to own my own detailing business, but I needed money to get it started. I worked odd jobs at car dealerships washing vehicles, and when I got paid, I would take that money and flip it into my small weed business. My pockets were full, and my mother had no idea I was selling drugs from her home. She had a new boyfriend named Wayne, and he was cool, much better than the last guy she dated. My brothers and I didn’t care for him too much, and we always knew that my mother could do better. My dad was still living in New York, but I wasn’t worried about him finding out because he was more into his new family and their wellbeing. I don’t think…

I love fashion, but growing up, I didn’t have the privilege to get what I wanted because finances were minimal. As a teenager, my parents couldn’t afford to purchase me the newest sneakers that most of the area kids were wearing in the neighborhood. So, I learned to be grateful for what I had. I was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. My parents separated, so my father was not a part of my everyday life. I would go to Newark to visit him on the weekends, but he was never there, so we never really spent time together. He was in a relationship with someone else, so it wasn’t often that I was allowed to stay at his house. My aunt and my grandma would entertain me every…