Should there be a movement?......for the black male?

The U.S. women's suffrage movement since the early 20th century, expecially within the last 30 years, has help to uplift the social position of women in America and abroad. With the exception of Anna J. Cooper and Soljourner Truth, black feminist thought has been particularly limited or excluded from the mainstream womanist ideals. Due to the vast amount of women dedicated to liberating the thoughts and conceptions of women, the formation of a accredited field in academia, and opening of the mainstream to female leaders, women have made considerable gains in society. However, not to be misunderstood, women are still the most subjugated in society, and African American women still find themselves the lowest person on the todem pole in many (is not most) sectors in society. Women are continuing to be exploited, objectified and flat out used, but alas, I submit that there is a new group that that is desparately in need of a political and academic movement, and that group is African American males.

We live in a male dominated society, our economic structure, juriprudence, and American iconography is based on a male perspective. I do not deny that. However, I have recently contemplated the state of black males in society today. There is a lot of literature that is written on the output of black males, if you will, rather than an investigation of what has occured inwardly since the beginning of our existence in America. I believe that an academic and political movement, similar to the feminist movement, could unequivocally broaden our understanding of black manhood. A multidisciplinary committment that studies the historical-social forces that impact African American male identity.

There have been scholars who have studies black males, but it appears many are through generic, distant, and uncanny lense. The end result is an amount of literature that depicts the black male experience sans his consent, or a isolation of a single identity or character. There are exceptions, especially novels and fictional works, by the way which are great for social and cultural commentary/context. (Fences, A Gathering of Old Men)

Many would argue that the African American Civil Rights Movement (historical, modern and post-modern), is a chronicaling of the African American man, especially since black women were usually subjugated to roles that were generally silent. BLack women supported the image of their men, and let the men be the leaders and champions of the racial cause. I do not negate that, however, I believe that much of the the victories for the black race through the leadership of black males has been achieved on the terms of a white patriarchal paradigm. The black female, though she exists in a patriarchal society, has an understanding of the system, and subsequently herself and her struggle because the feminist movement rejects it in total. Black men have yet to reject the patriarchy because it is what allows them to achieve, and it is what has allowed them to achieve since they were declared freemen. No one would reject it even if that success only comes to few, and many do not understand it. We merely play the game.

I believe that academia should provide an understanding of maleness so that black males can see that the potential pathways to their uplifting lies between understanding masculine dogma and feminist theory. Please understand that I do not suggest that black males assume a feminist approach to life; I would not betray my brothers to any additional emasculation in society. However, I do feel that it is important to understand it and its ideals, because quite simply, knowledge is power.

African American males are the most discussed, most criticized, and most problematic species in America. We are not understood, and in many cases we do not understand, but we are committed to working, and if given the opportunity to do so, we will achive. I would just like more achievement for more black males. The key to our success as a race lies not in just the Black Feminist Movement, but in a conjoining of both a development of black female and male identity, just as it has been done for black females in academia. Perhaps then, we can learn to love ourselves, love our women more than what we show in videos, that there are black men who have loved their women, understand our fears, understand our flaws, and work towards improving them. A more than anything, reject those BS qualifications, limitations, ideals, and paradigms set for us by other people but us. Perhaps then we won't have to be placed on the scaffold of criticism and denigrated to the extent where we perpetuate our own demise and isolation. Then and only then, will be reach the potential we KNOW we can do, but on our terms and in our understanding.


peace.