ACTOR MACKENRO ALEXANDER – LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL AND HOW BEING FIRST GENERATION HAITIAN SHAPED HIS LIFE

Mackenro Alexander is someone who embodies resilience and determ nation in all aspects of l fe As a former athlete and now actor he is work ng h s way into the enterta nment industry to become everything he desires This was an ntimate conversation on h s transition from sports, but also his own personal development as Black Man

“I couldn t share my dreams of act ng with anyone because they had a narrow view of only focusing on Football where I’m from,” said Alexander when I asked him if acting was always something he wanted to pursue Though acting was always a dream of his he couldn t express that because his commun ty and social circles only pushed and promoted Football as a means of achievement Mackenro said, “It was hard for me to commun cate with people so I would only share my dreams of acting with the artistry friends ” Early on he understood how to separate himself from both the sports and art world so that he could nav gate them without controversy

Mackenro sa d, “I have always had a balance to myself, which I liked I never wanted to marry football, but I wanted to be great at t because I’m compet tive And I’m still competitive in the entertainment industry ”

It was that early morning rout ne from Football which he appl ed to gett ng h s start in acting “I came into this ndustry fast and dived right into the craft,” said Alexander It was with a humble spirit that he tackled the industry by asking peers which classes he should take and understood that he was start ng all over Mackenro sa d, “I didn’t want to be here just because of looks I want to be great at the craft and known for that ” That same foundation from waking up at 5 am to tra n is what he applied to setting a structured act ng reg me

“I keep push ng myself to be better and better And I have only been act ng since 2019,” sa d Alexander

There s a work ethic that he feels gives him an advantage in th s industry which he attributes to Football On and off the f eld Mackenro had to learn to discipline himself mentally, phys cally, emotionally, and sp ritually to perform at top peak This s something so ingrained in h m that each act ng class or audition he treats as if t’s game time and there are hundreds of people watch ng

“The best investment I made was in myself ” said Alexander as he talked about his next moves after ret ring from professional football in 2018 He nvested in h mself by making the big move to Atlanta where he had noth ng lined up, but only a dream Understanding that he needed to pay his way he became a personal tra ner to sustain h mself while enroll ng in acting classes

“I had to learn to be still and present,” sa d Alexander

That f rst year in Atlanta Mackenro tore his Achilles tendon Mackenro said, “th s was my fifth sign ficant injury ” This time he had to take inventory in himself and see why th ngs like this kept happen ng to him He realized it was God tell ng h m to be still for a moment and be present It was easier sa d than done for the ex-athlete who only understood how to keep mov ng and pushing forward in life “As Black men n America I think that concept of being st ll and present is hard because we have this pressure of being financially stable and making sure we have everything together ”

Though he had this pressure to be the best and being green in a new ndustry and city, he took this moment of st llness with joy

“This was the best moment of my life because I actually took the time to stop and smell the flowers,” said Alexander

Mackenro opened up about being a first generation Hait an Amer can in his family and how t affected him growing up n Florida “My parents are extremely beautiful Haitian people who didn’t speak Engl sh and came to America to pursue a better l fe for us,” said Alexander At an early age he felt this weight on his shoulders to make them proud and to be successful because of the sacr fices he saw them make daily He recalled many t mes when his parents would ask him to read and explain certa n b lls and documents because they d dn t speak English Moments l ke these were common for Mackenro who had to grow up faster than most and take on a lot of responsibility

“I was at this place where I m not Haitian enough to be Hait an but also not Black enough to be Black in America ” said Alexander

Growing up for him was a constant conflict of not just being a support system for his family but also f nd ng his own ident ty Mackenro sa d “I could speak Haitian French enough but not enough for the Haitians and I d dn t have the Black exper ence enough for the Black community ” This was another time in his life where he had to find balance once again n how Mackenro would be

Mackenro Alexander’s story is one that inspires me to see that regardless of where you come from, where you might have been at the highest point n your life, that start ng over can be the best thing life offers you