The Kaleidoscope of Black Manhood

Near the end of her 2016 lecture “The Construction of Black Masculinity and Sexuality” Veronica Mason comments on social scientists’ “tendency to talk about black men but not [talk] to black men.” We carry the stereotypes taught by society into the assumptions we make about their experiences. 

We talk when we could have listened. And because of this, we miss new information. We draw beliefs from a shallow well and that, in turn, makes our world view shallow. We miss out on perspectives that could crack open our understanding of any number of topics, including ourselves.  

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with former NFL player, Wade Davis. Being an out gay man in professional football helped shape Davis into the man he is today --- a thought leader, a public speaker and a consultant on gender, race and sexual orientation equality.

Like the perspective of Wade Davis, interviewed here by actor, Brian Michael Smith. Davis is a former NFL cornerback and works as an activist, helping men embrace their masculinity and manhood. He says that Black mens’ struggle with their own gender begins when they are boys. He cites author bell hooks when he says that due to the common misconceptions surrounding feminism (that feminists hate men, that feminist theory says men are scum) boys often begin their gender journey from a defensive stance; a rejection of everything feminine. 

When Smith asks him what he likes about his manhood, Wade Davis quotes Audre Lord, saying “if I did not define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” With its central feature being “self-definition”, Wade Davis’ Manhood resists comparison to others. It is a gender by and for him. Smith describes Davis as someone who turned the light on on their gender and didn’t immediately turn it off. He just went deeper into it and found that his manhood doesn’t need to take power from others to make Davis feel strong. His manhood contains an internal strength that is bolstered, not threatened, by uplifting those around him. 

Alternatively, you have the concept of radical softness, expressed by playwright Donja Love 

Love views traditional masculinity as a set of parameters that exists for the purpose of separating folks. To contrast this, he was taught a model of manhood by his parents that helped him survive and which he uses to help other folks liberate themselves. Radical softness is seeing the world as it is, cleared of any judgement, and to react accordingly as your mind and body will allow you (while also clearing away self-judgement). He uses his plays to pass this manhood, along with the kindness and teachings contained within, along to others. 

There are also folks like Fahamu Pecou, who believes that one’s self image is largely informed by the images of self we are shown by society. As he discusses in a TEDx Atlanta video, growing up inundated with stereotypes and threats of violence had profound impacts on his views of self and his capacity to survive into adulthood. Black art is a powerful way of upending stereotypes about the Black experience (he even quotes W.E.B. Du Bois, saying “all art is propaganda, it ever must be.”) and he uses painting to reshape the constant image of the death of the Black male.

Dis/placements Response | Fahamu Pecou’s “grav·i·ty”

He uses non-literal images to paint a more accurate portrait of Black Manhood and subvert expectations around his identity. Fahamu Pecou’s manhood is where he finds the strength to confront the dangers society poses to bodies like his. Here is a link to his website, most of his work is on there and it is so amazing.

And thankfully there are people like Jillian Whitaker, who are out celebrating and uplifting the work of Black men. In this interview she did with Cordney McClain, Co-Founder of Brother 4 Progress, Inc, they discuss his work with kids as he guides them to confront the toxic masculinity they are being taught by society writ large. McClain carries a more critical view of his manhood, but still draws from its well of strength as he serves his community. All around him he sees Black boys being taught that their value is directly proportional to their ability to withstand hardships. In response, he has created a fellowship of Black men who intervene to shift this paradigm before it sets, mentoring young Black men to uplift one another, similar to a community interpretation of Donja Love’s Radical Softness.  

And it doesn’t stop there. Join Mosaic Theater on January 28th at 7:30PM EST for our Creative Conversation: Storytelling the Beauty and Diversity of Black Manhood where we will host a conversation between members of Project GoodMen, the B Posi+ive Podcast, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and many, many more working to celebrate Black Manhood.