Black Men & Toxic Masculinity

Articles: https://www.thisisgoodwerk.com/blog/understanding-toxic-masculinity-and-its-impact-on-black-mens-mental-health https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1179&context=honors Timestamps Video compilation: 00:00-01:10 Narration: 01:10-02:30 Historical Context: 06:51-08:23 Overly Straight Men & “No Diddy” Phrase: 08:36-11:41 Resentment towards straight black men: 11:58-15:30 J.cole song “SAFETY”: 15:30-17:46 Reactions: 18:02-26:45 When people talk about Black men and toxic masculinity, they often act like it’s something we’re born with, but it’s not. What looks like anger, toughness, or control today comes from history, society, and the way many boys were raised. From slavery to segregation to systemic racism today, Black men have been stripped of safety, opportunity, and the freedom to show vulnerability. & unfortunately that can become The lesson that becomes clear early on: the idea that in order to survive, you have to be hard. I remember being around the father figures in my life & constantly hearing. Stop crying, Toughin up or Pink is for girls. Now that I’m an adult I don’t resent them because im sure they meant well & I’m sure they just wanted me to survive this harsh world but what they didn’t realize is that it would result to me as an black man struggling to express my emotions, connect with others, or carry grief without anger. I honestly think media plays a big role too. Growing up, most of the Black men I saw on TV or in movies were either angry, aggressive, hypersexual, or emotionally shut down. That image gets repeated so much that it starts to feel normal. You don’t really see a lot of Black men being soft, gentle, nurturing, or openly emotional at least not in a way that’s celebrated. As a gay Black man, that pressure definitely hit different I didn’t just feel pressure to be tough. I felt pressure to prove I was still a man. I became hyperaware of how I spoke, how I walked, how I expressed myself. I learned quickly that anything seen as feminine could make me a target not just outside the community, but inside it too. I don’t wanna come off blaming black men but I do want to have a conversation about expanding what manhood can look like so that young black boys straight or gay don’t grow up believing they have to shut down their emotions just to be seen as real men.” But let’s unpack this & talk more about it. #lgbt #gay #tiktok #viral