This blog (Part 2), is the second installment of the He Said, He Said discussion that we initiated a few months ago. In Part 1 we talked about why the dialogue about the experiences of Black males across the generational divide was important. We covered the first three of what we identified as seven critical themes. The objective was to offer our perspectives on these themes and to unpack how they shaped the contours of our lived experiences, as well as the experiences of other Black males in P-20 education settings. Hence, this blog explores the remaining four themes: Black Masculinity; Resources; Family Influence and Support; and Career and Future Success.
Black Masculinity
REGAN: Through my lens as a Millennial African-American male, I see masculinity being defined in various ways, which often causes us to not fully understand what it means to be a Black man. All too often this lack of definition leads to a place where we conform to being what the media or world perceives of us. Their perceptions usually casts us as being violent, incompetent, sex-driven creatures who only excel in the areas of athletics and entertainment. These messages are shared with Black males very early on, leaving them with negative images regarding what it means to be a Black man. It was not until I became a student at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) that I realized such messages were not reflective of a true Black male identity.
As I became surrounded by powerful Black men who were intelligent and striving to become architects, doctors, educators, engineers and nurses — it was then that I started to realize who we were, who I was and who I had the potential to become. I found this new knowledge to be both confusing and shocking. Why was this my first time realizing how blind I had been to all of these positive Black images and roles? I now started to understand what the media, movies and even childhood books took from me. I realized that our contributions to society are not only through entertainment and sports, we are much greater than what the world wants us to know.
Resources
REGAN: Through the lens of an African-American man, I have noticed that family resources play a major role in Black males’ matriculation in college. It is hard to make the best grades when you are in a position in which you have to financially fend for yourself, as well as help out with various financial concerns back at home. These challenges give us a certain drive to better ourselves. However, I have often seen where these resource challenges can negatively affect academic performance. I’ve noticed that working can become the main priority while school can become less of a priority. The classroom loses out and working to help ease financial burdens takes precedent. I have met numerous students who work long hours, and find themselves being too tired and worn out to put their best foot forward academically. We come to college in hope that our institution is going to set us up for the future careers and lives we have dreamed of. A big part of realizing our dreams has to do with how well we do in school. And, how well we do is tied to the resources we are provided.
The definition of resources is very broad, but to sum it up, I have noticed that it is mainly what can be offered for the students to help further advance them in life and on their educational journeys. Resources influence our drive to want more for ourselves, while the lack of resources can discourage this determination and drive.
