Dominique Pierre-Toussaint: A male voice for what’s primarily thought to be a female issue

When Dominque Pierre-Toussaint was given a chance to become an advocate for breast cancer awareness, he didn’t hesitate to jump in with both feet.

“Kris Newcomber and Pat Koppa from the Minnesota Breast Cancer Gaps Project approached me,” says Pierre-Toussaint, “And they explained that they were looking for Black men to discuss breast cancer awareness and help address the disparities in mortality between Black and white women.”

According to the project, “Black women in Minnesota have a 41% higher mortality rate from breast cancer than white women.”

So, when considering his own family, where the women “fully cared” for everyone else, often at the expense of their own health and well-being, the answer for Pierre-Toussaint was easy. “They had me at hello!”

Pierre-Toussaint helped recruit men for the project. Not only do those participating in Men’s Matters Too now speak to the women and girls in their lives on the importance of looking out for themselves—including mothers, daughters, sisters, and so on—but also engaging younger men to make sure that they are part of the fight to save the lives of the ones they love.

“As a former football player,” remarks Pierre-Toussaint, “I’m reminded each year of how the NFL and NCAA spotlight this issue. All the players are wearing pink gloves, pink shoes, pink socks, etcetera.” Nonetheless, he wonders how many athletes truly understand the initiative behind it and the effort required to make a real difference.

“Some of these athletes and their families are already suffering,” he observes, “affected in one way or another by breast cancer. This can impact any one of us. But we can help prevent this [and] reduce mortality. That’s where the real work comes in.”

Born in the borough of Brooklyn, Pierre-Toussaint, the child of Haitian immigrants, came of age on the streets of Far Rockaway, Queens, where both the performing arts and athletics were among his first loves. To his dismay, one of his teachers discouraged him from pursuing any sort of career in the arts.

Thus, Pierre-Toussaint focused on sports, becoming a star on both the gridiron and the wrestling mat. However, life in Far Rockaway was tough, and he was eventually sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Columbia, Maryland.

“It was kind of like a ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ situation,” he explains, “The streets of New York were a little hard. I literally had to fight my way out of there.”

At Howard High School just outside of Columbia, Pierre-Toussaint continued to excel in both football and wrestling, but his love of art and music was rekindled when he befriended a classmate named Mariana Vieira.

“Don’t ever let anyone take that away from you,” Vieira told her new friend. “Keep that passion alive.”

For her part, Vieira went on to become better known as “Ladybug Mecca,” a member of the alternative hip hop trio Digable Planets, whose song “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)” topped both the Billboard Rap and Dance singles charts in 1993.

“Her success inspired me,” says Pierre-Toussaint, who also notes his new environment in suburban Maryland helped open doors and reveal other opportunities.

“I experienced a different life in high school there. That’s where I learned resources. How to access resources, how to utilize resources. And the role that they play in community service and social responsibility.”

From there, Pierre-Toussaint matriculated to Dickinson State University (North Dakota) on an athletic scholarship, studying art education and community development before relocating to the Twin Cities ,where one of his earliest jobs was as part of the security detail for Prince.

Pierre-Toussaint learned a great deal during his stint at Paisley Park and took note of all the ways Prince gave back through philanthropic and community-related initiatives, more often than not doing so anonymously.

Throughout his own career, Pierre-Toussaint has taken all the tools and lessons he’s learned to give back and especially try to make a difference in the lives of youth. “We have to take our young people seriously. Build a relationship with them and vice versa. They are the future. Our leaders, the ones that will take care of all of us one day.”

In addition to coaching high school football and mentoring student athletes, supporting kids in music and the arts, Pierre-Toussaint has served in a number of roles with the Hopkins School District, including community engagement supervisor.

Today, he is the director of community relations for the Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA), which connects residents to food support, affordable housing, and employment opportunities.

Among his numerous contributions to the community over the years, Pierre-Toussaint organized the City of Hopkins’ first-ever Juneteenth celebration.  And, although he prefers to stay in the background, his impact has garnered the attention of others, which is how the health initiative Men’s Matters Too was born.

Pierre-Toussaint has also recently partnered with Arena Football League (AFL) commissioner Lee Hutton and the Head Coach (and Golden Gopher legend) of the AFL’s Minnesota Myth, Rickey Foggie, to help connect the new franchise to the greater Twin Cities community.

And if Pierre-Toussaint weren’t already busy enough, he’s now launched his very own LLC, Soc13ty 101, a consulting firm designed to assist corporate, government and nonprofit entities “become more socially responsible by developing ethical and community-oriented policies and practices.”

“There is so much work to be done,” declares Pierre-Toussaint, “so many relationships to build. That’s our currency, fostering relationships to make sure everyone in our community has the tools and resources they need to thrive.”

For more information about Dominique Pierre-Toussaint and Soc13ty_101, visit soc13.com.