Kiwi-Samoan boy Angelou Brown has issued a powerful message, along with a gift, to Dwayne Johnson in a bid to help spread an anti-violence message to men around the world. Photos / Supplied, Getty Images
Kiwi-Samoan boy Angelou Brown has issued a powerful message, along with a gift, to Dwayne Johnson in a bid to help spread an anti-violence message to men around the world. Photos / Supplied, Getty Images
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has responded to the Kiwi-Samoan boy who last week sent him a powerful message about spreading the word about violence against women.
Angelou Brown, who's only 5 years old, sent the Hollywood actor a message and a gift, in a bid to help spread an anti-violence message to men around the world.
Angelou Brown, 5, is part of the She Is Not Your Rehab group, a movement that empowers men to address their domestic violence issues and encourages family and communities to treat our women better.
Five days after the boy's video went viral, "The Rock" has today posted his response.
"Just watched and this one just sat me down. A bit emotional watching this 5-year-old little boy speak to me," the actor posted, alongside young Angelou's video. "The Rock" added a crying emoji to his caption, which then became an open letter to the 5-year-old boy from Christchurch.
"Angelou, it's Uncle Rock. Yes, I'm your 'uncle' because of course, all us Samoans are related," he began.
"I'm very proud of you, son," Dwayne Johnson continued.
"You don't understand yet, because you're too young but just know how courageous and inspiring you are to myself and our aiga (family), but now - to the world."
"The Rock" singled out the work the boy's father does with the "She is Not Your Rehab" group, as well as the boy's nana.
"I admire your father, greatly for standing up and creating @sheisnotyourrehab. And to make sure his mom - your Nana - will never be forgotten. Encouraging men all over the world to treat our women with respect, love and most importantly, violence-free," he said.
"The way you sit in your Nana's arms as she speaks to you is the exact same way I would sit in my grandma's arms when I was your age, while she said her prayers in Samoan to God, and then she'd talk to me afterwards just like she talks to you.
"She would tell me the exact same things your Nana is telling you. Listen to her. And always remember her words," the actor advises the boy.
"You stay strong, Angelou and keep listening to your Nana and your dad. One day you will become the leader of your aiga and also a leader the world will admire."
The shirt Angelou Brown and his father Matt Brown gifted to Dwayne Johnson. Photo / Supplied
The actor ends his message with a hilarious request: "Tell your sister to stop showing you pictures of me wearing a fanny pack!"
The actor said in a postscript that he is arranging with his staff to be connected to Angelou's family.
The video of Angelou was first posted online on the "She is Not Your Rehab" page last week.
In it, the boy addresses The Rock personally, sending him a shirt that says "She Is Not Your Rehab" and asking a favour from the "strongest man on the planet" to help spread awareness of how domestic violence is harming our women, families and communities.
"Dear Mr Rock, my name is Angelou Brown and I am 5 years old. I live in Christchurch, New Zealand," he starts off.
"My dad is Samoan so I'm pretty sure you're his cousin. And since you're part of the aiga (family), I thought I'd send you a gift. It's a T-shirt.
"Not just any T-shirt. This T-shirt my dad and my uncles wear to encourage other men to treat girls well."
"Men all around New Zealand, the Pacific, and even the whole wide world because his mum, my nana, had a sad life when they were growing up with lots of fights at home.
"It was sad for my dad to watch her get hurt a lot. And she had to go away lots to many refuges.
"My dad says it's his mission to help other men to heal so their wives don't have sad lives like Nana did."
In the video, Angelou reveals his nana is unwell with lung cancer. He says his father Matt Brown will use the She Is Not Your Rehab movement to help tell her story and promises her message will never be forgotten.
Angelou then says many men look up to The Rock and hopes if the movie star and former wrestler can spread the message then it'll help troubled men turn a corner.
"These are what these T-shirts are, because I think you're the strongest man on the planet that many men look up to.
"If you wear this T-shirt then I think they will listen to you and we can help houses everywhere be violence-free.
"I hope it gets to you even if you live on an island far away.
"From our aiga to yours, we send you our alofa. Love Angelou."
Angelou's father and founder of She Is Not Your Rehab, Matt Brown, told the Herald last week he decided to reach out to Johnson in the hope his mana in the Pacific community would make men stand up and listen.
"Our goal with all our mahi (work) and messaging is to change the narrative around domestic violence.
The "She is not your rehab" movement. Photo / Supplied
"We ask ourselves how we can engage people to have hard conversations in palatable ways. For White Ribbon Day this year my own mother's story was close to my heart and I know hers is similar to many other Polynesian women, I feel it's time for Pacific men in our communities to stand up and say no more.
"There's no one better to lead that then The Rock himself. For many of us he was a superhero growing up so I thought if he would support this then Polynesian men would listen."
Brown and his movement's ultimate goal is for "Aotearoa to become violence-free".
