Black Men Aren't 'Allowed' to be Human?

Damon Young writes: Suggested Reading Ryan Coogler, Cynthia Erivo and More Reveal Their Favorite Movies of All Time The History of Brandy and Monica’s Messy, Violent Feud This Rapper Has a Truly Frightening On-Stage Experience Mid-Battle, and it’s All Caught on Video Video will return here when scrolled back into view Dominique Thorne Reveals Why…

Damon Young writes:

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Dominique Thorne Reveals Why She Almost Passed on <em>Ironheart</em>
Dominique Thorne Reveals Why She Almost Passed on <em>Ironheart</em>

For years people have written, spoken, and even created art about the fact that African-American men are burdened with a suffocatinglyย rigid definition of who and what a man is supposed be. Itโ€™s also common to blame this on a combination of history, socialization, and sexual expectation. Basically, black men are the way we are because society in generalโ€”and black womenย specificallyโ€”expect us to be that way.

But, to be perfectly honest, Iโ€™m not sure how valid this is today.ย Yes, itโ€™s true that there have been some very majorย historicalย influences on the way weโ€™re supposed to be, and yes itโ€™s still somewhat true that black men who fall outside of the hyper-hetero ideal might be sexually shunned in a way that other races/cultures of American men may not have to deal with, but I wonder how much of this is self-induced.ย 

I think we (Black men) do it to ourselves more than anyone else does it to us. I think weโ€™ve grown comfortable inside the limitations. I think many of our problems in regards to being expected to be hyper-hetero are completely psychosomatic. I think we have a bit more leeway to be human than we want to believe, and I think thereโ€™s a bit of a mental and emotional safety net with not fighting against this expectation, as any crude, sexist, homophobic, racist, and just generally unprogressive act could be blamed on socialization. It may not quite be learned helplessness, but it isnโ€™t far from it.

Read on at Very Smart Brothas.

Read More: http://verysmartbrothas.com/on-black-men-and-why-were-not-allowed-to-be-human/

Very Smart Brothas is a culture blog founded by and featuring Damon Young (aka \"The Champ\") and Panama Jackson.ย 

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.