Being a Black Man | Paths to Success | Portrait of a Black Male | Black in America
"If we have any hope of developing the black community and saving the black family; finding solution to the crises that continually envelop black males regardless of time and space…it is critically important that we find ways to challenge, disrupt, and supplant negative and harmful images of black males. By first identifying and then continually challenging stereotypes about the things that we expect from black men and the ways we interpret individual performance of masculine traits we can begin the process of re-imagining black masculine identity." – David J. Johns Re-imagining Black Masculine Identity: An Investigation of the "Problem" Surrounding the Construction of Black Masculinity in America.
The experiences explored by Daniel Beaty in Resurrection of the black male and the challenges they face in our current climate have also grabbed significant national attention. The following collection of writings and links to further websites show how this play is in dialogue with these issues on both the Arena and national stage.
Being a Black Man
In its 2006 series entitled "Being a Black Man" The Washington Post explored many of the issues facing the African American male population. In his article, "At the Corner of Progress and Peril," journalist Michael Fletcher posited the following scenario regarding the fate of the rising generation of black men:
"What does it mean to be a black man? Imagine three African American boys, kindergartners who are largely alike in intelligence, talent and character, whose potential seems limitless. According to a wealth of statistics and academic studies, in just over a decade one of the boys is likely to be locked up or headed to prison. The second boy -- if he hasn't already dropped out -- will seriously weigh leaving high school and be pointed toward an uncertain future. The third boy will be speeding toward success by most measures.
Being a black man in America can mean inhabiting a border area between possibility and peril, to feel connected to, defined by, even responsible for each of those boys -- and for other black men. In dozens of interviews, black men described their shared existence, of sometimes wondering whether their accomplishments will be treated as anomalies, their individuality obscured by the narrow images that linger in the minds of others."
The series of articles, videos, and photos can be found here >
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Paths to Success
In order to build on the themes explored in the "Being a Black Man" series, The Kaiser Family Foundation and The Washington Post hosted a forum on July 18, 2006 to discuss strategies to empower young black men. Featuring actor Bill Cosby and other national leaders, topics ranged from education, jobs, health, family, religion, gangs, and the possibilities of the future. Along with the forum, the Kaiser Foundation and The Washington Post, together with Harvard University, surveyed thousands of African Americans in order to access their thoughts and insights on the issues facing their community today. In their survey, they published:
"While a subgroup of young black men are living troubled lives, the survey found that young black men overall do not fit the stereotype about them. They express optimism and hope, with eight in tem saying they are mostly optimistic about their own future, and two-thirds saying it is a good time to be a black man in America."
Find out the results of their surveys and studies here:
The African American Men Survey >
Survey Snapshot: Views and Experiences of Young Black Men >
Black Americans and HIV/AIDS >
Young African American Men in the United States >
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Portrait of a Black Male
In 2007, the National Urban League > issued its annual report on the State of Black America. Entitled “Portrait of the Black Male," the report addresses the destructive and extensive implications of the “underperforming" of the black male in the community.
The forward, written by Senator Barack Obama, enumerates the many accomplishments and achievements of the black American community. However, while acknowledging progress, Obama goes on to say that "another story must also be told about the state of Black America. A quarter of all black Americans live below the federal poverty level, a poverty rate about twice the national rate. More than a third of all black children live in poverty and almost two-thirds grow up in a home without both parents. In some cities, more than half of all black boys do not finish high school, and, by the time they are in their 30’s, almost six in ten black high school dropouts will have spent time in prison. Half of all black men in their 20s are jobless, and one study a few years ago found more black men in prison than enrolled in college. The typical black household earns only about 60% of the earnings of white households and has a net worth only about 10% that of whites. The HIV/AIDS rate is highest for black Americans, and blacks are more often the victims of inadequate healthcare and preventable health maladies. This sad story is a stark reminder that the long march towards true and meaningful equality in America isn’t over. We have a long way to go."
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Black in America
In July 2008, CNN released a two-part documentary exploring what it means to be "Black in America." While the first portion of the documentary focused on the black woman and the family, the second was devoted to the black male experience. After participating in hours of interviews for the documentary, actor and writer Joseph C. Phillips contributed a special commentary entitled "Black Americans Should Be Masters of our Fate:"
“To suggest that people attempt to live lives of virtue is not simplistic. It is in fact wisdom that is preached in our houses of worship each and every Sabbath day. Whether it concerns sexual behavior, decisions concerning our education or how we conceive of civil behavior, when it comes to creating lives of purpose and fulfillment nothing will replace the individual accessing the wisdom that has been passed down from antiquity. In the words of the poet William Ernest Henley:
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."
For more insight into this series go here >
photo by Scott Suchman
