We’ve got a problem when “the word for black men is crime and the word for black women is welfare.”
UNCG students confronted this problem Wednesday, Feb. 19 in a discussion and viewing of the film Beyond the Dream VII, The Vanishing Black Male: Saving Our Sons.
“Almost every stereotype about African Americans targets African American men. It either emasculates them … or reverts to what they were in slavery, basically savages,” said Frank Woods, Director of African American Studies at UNCG. “They are seen as dumb, deprived, dangerous, disturbed or dysfunctional – and as long as society sees them in these categories, we’re gonna have these discussions.”
A UNCG black history month event, this discussion focused on the issue of what American culture has done to young African American males. UNCG director of multicultural affairs Audrey Daniels voiced the central question.
“When,” she asked, “is society going to come to the point when they’re going to recognize the achievements of African American males in a positive way? And what can we – as individuals and a community – do to change that?”
Participants strove to answer this, telling their own stories, giving opinions, and making suggestions.
UNCG senior Ashanti White identified the need to redefine success according to different value systems. “Part of the problem comes with this whole American dream thing,” White said. “People stress what you have, not what it took you to get it. We need to start stressing the road to get there.”
America’s message is that material success is the only goal. This system reduces men to mere providers, without valuing their relationships, communities or achievements. Removing these facets leaves a “hate for black men,” as one woman put it.
“Then for a lot of guys it becomes the question of am I good enough,” senior Antoine Hardy said. “‘What do I bring to the table? And they lower their standards to match society’s.”
Unfortunately, society’s expectations aren’t high, as the film demonstrated.
The media assaults young African American men with negative images, showing them as drug dealers, criminals, expendable employees – rarely providing successful role models or positive possibilities for their future.
Thanks to the media, the film stated, “manhood becomes defined by the size of your gun and the number of bullets it can hold.”
Our education system is equally destructive. Its explicit and implicit message to African American boys is that they are stupid and lazy. Not surprising, considering that in such an atmosphere, the majority fall out of love with school and learning by the third grade.
In order to “save our sons,” as the film mandates, these messages must be changed. African American men must be told from childhood that they are more than media’s portrayals.
“It starts in the household,” Professor Pamela Richardson said. “Somebody’s gonna take the role of role model, whether it’s in the family or not. Be it positive or negative, somebody will influence that child. It’s up to us to go out and influence them positively.
“If you start out with them this size,” Richardson said, pointing at her three-year-old son, “you can make a difference.”