Shock Factor

The perpetuated image of a black man- as told by bell hooks, Toby Jenkins and Anthony Keith- is one of plight and incessant struggle. While reading, it is hard to put myself, a female who is white, into the heavy shoes of male who is black. The struggles that have emerged through a historical conflict between human rights and oppression, seem surreal and unimaginable. To start with the historical context, where for over the first 200 years of the United States the rights of slaves diminished to almost nothing. Giving them the right to "breed", everything else was null and void. African-Americans were not even that, they could not be citizens, could not read or learn or even have the right to marry and raise their own children. This suffering has worked itself to freedom then desegregation but sitting less than 200 years later, we are faced with the fact that the African-American community have been "free" for less time than they were slaves. The notion of this, in itself, is shocking. These adverse and , as Dr. Jenkins refers to them, chaotic times persist the image of African-Americans in this modern day. Chaos is a strong word that can provoke a feeling of discomfort, this anguish describes the image and oppression of a Black man.

Nathan McCall refers to the adjustment of "freedom" as "adapting to insanity", the Black man is supposed to survive in a culture that continuously denies him the right to have hopes or dreams. Like my classmates, I was overwhelmed by the statistics represented in Dr. Toby Jenkins' article "Mr. Nigger: The Challenges of Educating African American Males in America, Journal of Black Studies" especially the statement that African American males make up 43% of the education community yet they are 65% of the suspensions, 80% of the expulsions and 45% of the dropouts. These alarming statistics coupled with negative stereotypes make it seem impossible for the African American male to succeed. These images, undoubtedly, produce the internalization of self-hatred which perpetuates the Black man's belief that opportunity's door has been slammed shut never to be pried open. In society, these images could have the possibility of fading with researchers and policy makers working towards a better tomorrow, but with every step the media pushes back with as much force if not more. The negative stereotype of Black men in "ghetto" urban areas while fighting to live on the streets leaves much to be desired. Anthony Keith provides insight to a way out of this categorization- love. Within the larger social context, the image is that Black males have failed, Anthony Keith suggests that there is a need for interconnectedness and love for African-Americans to survive and beat the odds that are stacked against them. He felt challenged to rise up and represent his gender and race, in that challenge he produces research on developing healthy relationships and consistency in life.

Although there is much more to be done, the first step has been taken. To promote important dialogue and awareness to issue that is as serious as this, is difficult when facing all of the challenges. But the more research that is completed which can create knowledge around why the plight of Black men and African-Americans, in general, is perpetuated the more that can be done to try to produce an effective plan for reducing hardship and creating opportunities.