MAN TALK

from Grace & Glory Magazine June 2021

HEALTH MATTERS

To Be A Black Man In America

“To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost all of the time — and in one's work.” -James Baldwin.

Those words could not be farther from the truth, and to be a black man in America is to be constantly reminded that we will never be good enough nor accepted in a land dominated by white supremacy, in any capacity. It does not matter if we are the top of the graduating class at the most prestigious college, or even if we are the president of the United States; our mere presence is always met with skepticism, racism, criticism and down-right hatred.

Truthfully, if one wants to ask what it feels like to be a black man in America, we must observe what it feels like to be a black boy in America, which is unfortunately equivalent to black manhood at times. Black boys not even being old enough to form proper sentences are seen as threats. Whether it be in kindergarten playing with other kids of different races or playing on a sports team. Our experience of blackness starts in our formative years. Our fathers and grandfathers had to be “men of the house” because their fathers were stripped away, lynched or fled to freedom from slavery. Black boys would have to grow up as men, when they could not even take care of themselves. These historic and traumatic events have created generational cycles of black men in America that carry these burdens into their families, their jobs and in every aspect of their life.

Bryant Senghor

We thankfully live-in times where black men in America can be a little more expressive of self, but there are still reservations of many, some even in our own communities. It is mentally exhausting at times to be conscious of your existence, knowing that the views of the surrounding masses have only moved but so much towards acceptance. We are good to be the “token black friend”, but a group of us together “breeds trouble”. To be black in America is to be a bird in a gilded cage.

Though we can focus on the negative aspects of life as a black man in America, we can also observe how we have coped and created outlets of artistic freedom during our journey. Black men are instrumental in the vibrant culture that we all enjoy today, touching ranges of genres like music, art, entertainment, etc. Black men in America are creative, resilient, expressive and most importantly vulnerable. In the words of the great Muhammad Ali, black men in America are “walnuts”, hard on the outside, soft on the inside. We have been conditioned to create this exterior of toughness and grit to not only prove our manhood, but our strength in blackness. We had to be the supporting foundation of the family and show no sign of weakness or “vulnerability”, only to realize that we were essentially dehumanized; void of emotional intelligence and subtleness tucked away like a best kept secret.