Hair Love, the short animated film, won the Oscar this year and it is no wonder. The inspiration for this adorable movie was none other than our guest Derrick Culpepper, owner of Active Dads Rule, Derrick strives to be a good example for dads everywhere.
Derrick was going about his routine and just getting his young daughter ready for her school day, but the video he made to show his wife went viral. The rest, as they say, is history. Listen to this episode and find out what happened along the way and why so many people found comfort and inspiration in this adorable video.
Show notes
[2:00] How Derrick made the viral video with his daughter
- His wife was out of town and it was his turn to take care of her daughter
- He wanted to show evidence to his wife that he’s doing his job while she’s away
- After recording the video, he uploaded the video to Facebook so he could share it to his wife and it ended viral
- The intention was just to share it with her wife
[3:55] How the video became viral
- At first, it was just family and friends who saw and reacted to the video but after 10 months, it suddenly accumulated 500 views
- After 500 views, it suddenly grew to 5000…then 30000.
[6:37] The correlation between the killing and his video
- His video showed the counter to the narrative being portrayed in the media about African-American men
[12:00] Receiving an email from Cosmopolitan Magazine
- He got an email from Cosmopolitan Magazine Asking him for permission if they can use the video to their site
- Eventually, he got asked if he wants to get featured in a documentary
[14:07] Building a community called Active Dads Rule
- Derrick wants to encourage dads to be more involved
- His goal is to be self-less in the family in this society of self-centredness
[18:01] Meeting Matthew A. Cherry and being the inspiration for the Oscar-nominated movie Hair Love
[20:15] Why it’s important to wear their hair naturally
- Embrace your natural self and accept who you are
- Love yourself regardless of what you see on social media
[24:50] Derrick’s son, DJ
- His son signed a scholarship to Southwestern University in Kansas where he’ll pursue his athletic career and higher education
[27:23] The correlation between serving the community and his passion to serve others
- Derrick strives to stay hungry to serve
- His motto is “The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement” so he keeps on finding ways to serve his family and community
- It always starts at home
[28:55] What’s next for Derrick and Active Dads Rule
- Derrick is looking forward to making more videos
Connect with Derrick Culpepper
About The Author
Atara Twersky, Author of Curlee Girlee is a TODAY Show Style Icon. Her mission is to teach girls to embrace the beautiful curls they have with power and confidence. Join us as together we change the “coarse” of curly hair. Don’t forget to read our recent article featuring charities that Curlee Girlee loves!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest
