In
True Confessions: A discourse on images of black male sexuality by Isaac
Julien and
Kobena Mercer, there is a section of the article that focuses specifically on the gender roles of black males. In this section, the authors argue that images of black masculinity were created by white males who denied black men the right to create their own images of what a man should be. What black men have learned to be their "manhood" is not something that was developed for them, by them, but something that was passed on to them from the history of white men. They authors go on to say that instead of black men having the
opportunity to build their masculinity from a natural standpoint, they were forced to accept the already established images of white, colonial, masculinity.
My questions are:
1- In today's society, how can black men transform the old images into new images which they create?
2- Once they are able to establish a new image, where will the image derive from?
3- Will the image be "natural" or will it somehow always be a sub category of the image of white men?
4-How is a "natural" image able to be established now, and if it were established, what do we think it would resemble?
Your questions bring to mind Astrid Roemer who challenged the lesbian label: "Life is too complex for us to give names not derived from us, dirty, conditional words, to the deepest feeling within me. ... There are, after all things which aren't to be given names -- giving them names kills them."
ReplyDeleteMany of the images of black men have been transmuted into stereotypes. It's difficult to tell who is playing the role. But transforming images of black men is a monumental process that takes place everyday. Creating one image from two sources is difficult because you must construct in your mind what is "black" and what is "man." You would hope that the black male image is rooted in true assertions, deep reflections and honest assessments. Whatever image a person makes, I hope that its ramifications to society as a whole is considered. Whether the image is natural will depend on whether the man is operating from a spiritual place. In this case, he answers to higher source and is not concerned with human judgments. If the man is creating an image as a political statement, he may be countering the image of the white man and is his seeking a human reaction to his transformation.
I believe the black man owes no one an explanation for the identity that he chooses, but don't you think that validation from the black woman is crucial?
I was struck by the last section of “Brother to Brother” that discussed music as a medium of self-critique for many black artists in the 1970’s. As an avid music fan, from soul through modern hip-hop, I myself have put a number of my musical tastes into questions during my first year of teaching as I see the way these messages effect my students—particularly my male ones.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the “black macho” imagery has returned to the forefront of modern R&B and hip-hop. As I myself begin to listen deeper to lyrics I previously brushed-off as over-the-top caricatures, I am realizing how seriously many young men take these lyrics. Guns, drugs, violence, money, promiscuity, misogyny and homophobia run rampant through these lyrics. Where hip-hop pioneers sought protest through their music, artists today are spitting inane jargon with nothing more in mind than a quick dollar.
Not every artist has abandoned their sense of social duty to their community or fan base, but the majority of those who dominate top 40 radio have. What is the reason for this return to a “black macho” attitude in music that used to seek protest, social betterment and harmony? Why don’t modern artists feel any sense of social duty to the dangerous populations and lifestyles they often claim they escaped?