black male Archives - The Race Card Project

Rooted in Hatred, Risen in Audacity

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 17 years old, Ancestors, audacity, being black, black male, comfortable, Ellis Clark, first experience, growing up, identity, implications, microagression, middle school, sacrifice, Spain

Ellis Clark,
Spain.

As a seventeen-year-old black male, my view to race has been cushioned by growing up in a comfortable, yet politically aware household. While I knew racism existed, it rarely touched me growing up, and when it did, it was the microagressive type. Real issues with race didn’t begin to pop up for me until middle school, and my view on race is now that it is an important part of my identity, regardless of the tribulations that people attach to it. I wouldn’t be who I am without being black, and the thought of not being black is one that never crosses my mind. Although I struggle sometimes with the implications of my race, I think of the feats my ancestors overcame with grace and know that my life today is impossible without the fighting sacrifices they made for me. Rooted in hatred as it may be, my race is risen on account of the audacity of those before us. We owe it to them to continue on with their torch to the mountaintop.

My Mind Isn’t Inferior To Yours

January 5, 2022January 9, 2022 black male, black person, capable, inferior, Jonah Payne, MI, mind, other, St. Louis, stereotype

Jonah Payne,
St. Louis, MI.

Many people feel that a Black person isn’t capable of what others are, and I find that to be false. I feel that, as a young Black male, I am accomplishing things better than most of the majority. We are all equally capable of what we want to be come and a color shouldn’t decide that for a person.

Calling me white is not compliment

June 16, 2020June 16, 2020 act black, act white, black male, Chappell Watkins, compliment, IN, Indianapolis, white, white neighborhood

Chappell Watkins,
Indianapolis, IN.

I’m a 47 year old black male I’ve grown up in all white neighborhoods, and over the years I’ve had multiple white friends tell me I’m not black I’m white as if it were a compliment. My question is if you think calling me white is a compliment, what do you think of being Black ?

Being a Black Male in America

October 18, 2017October 18, 2017 agressive, america, being black, black male, CA, CBU 311, community, complex, drugs, fight, gangs, Jim Crow, Joseph Brown, justice system, label, Lake Elsinore, Michelle Alexander, murder, people of color, prison, systemic racism, thug

Joseph Brown,
Lake Elsinore, CA.

Being a black male in America is complex. Not only do we have to fight systemic racism, we also have to overcome various obstacles that present themselves in our in communities. One example of systemic racism is what we’ve recently been witnessing from police officers murdering people of color and getting away with it. All of these cases are deemed justified because the victim was a so-called “thug” or labeled as an “aggressive man-child”. It is sickening how the media portrays the African American male as aggressive and violent. Another example of systemic racism that you have to face while being black in America is seen in the current prison system. In her book The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander describes how the current justice system is almost identical to that of the Jim Crow System.

Outside of these external forces, as a black male, you have to navigate the negative poison of your own community. These negative influences include opposition from a large influx of gangs and drugs that infest most black neighborhoods.

CBUHIS311

I try not to be racist

April 20, 2017 black male, black males, Brittney Smith, DC, education, groped, Racist, respect, stereotypes, street, true, Washington

Brittney Smith,
Washington, DC.

But since I’ve moved here I can’t help but notice that many of the stereotypes of black males are true. I’ve been chased down the street by black males, groped by black males and sexually assaulted by a black male in the street. Since then I’ve been scared of black males. I wish there was some education of black males that they shouldn’t harass women in the street and should treat women with respect.

You must be better to succeed.

September 9, 2016September 9, 2016 apply, better, black male, CA, Curtis McCullom, Irvine, job, lesson, Mississippi, same position, succeed, work ethic

Curtis McCullom
Irvine, CA

Being a black male from Mississippi, my father taught me that in order to succeed in white American, I had to be the best in all my endeavors. If I was applying for the same position as a white person, I could not be the same. I had to be better. That lesson instilled in me a great work ethic. Thanks to CBU HIS311 for this opportunity!

Wish black males had role models

September 9, 2016September 9, 2016 black boy, black male, Camden, Haddon Heights, NJ, Paula Gaehring, role model, wish

Paula Gaehring,
Haddon Heights, NJ.

Have taught in Philadelphia and now have students from Camden, NJ. So few of them have good male role models in their lives. Most are raised by moms and grandmoms doing their best but it is not the same as having dads, granddads and uncles in their lives. I wish I could give that to my students so they’d feel better about themselves.

I will not be a statistic

September 9, 2016September 9, 2016 black male, College, doomed, empowering, Houghton, Kyle Glasper, MA, skin, sociologu, statistic

Kyle Glasper
Houghton, MA

Everything I feel I learn in sociology is telling me that as a black male, life has doomed me to the pits. A third of us have been incarcerated or will be and the half of the rest won’t ever go to college. It’s been this way for a while now and I feel like nothing is changing. Is it the system at fault or the people? This is a question I’ve toyed with for a while and in all honesty it’s a bit of both. By society being okay that this happens the mentality of many black males are that it’s okay for them to act in that fashion because society expects themselves. For those in tune with sociology it’s a major case of the looking glass self and I for one refuse to be a statistic. Being black should be anything but a hindrance. It should be empowering that you can rise above odds even if they perpetually seem against and saying ‘I did it.’

Why are my black students failing?

February 19, 2016 black male, black students, bottom, class, College, DC, fail, failing, Josh Staveley-O'Carroll, MA, Natick, SC, teacher, VA

Josh Staveley-O’Carroll,
Natick, MA.

I teach at the college level (in Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina, and Washington, DC) and consistently my black students are in the bottom half of my class in terms of grades. This effect is especially pronounced in my black male students.

You are very articulate…gee thanks..

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 articulate, black male, compliment, IL, Lyonel LaGrone Jr, rude, speaking, Urbana

Lyonel LaGrone Jr,
Urbana, IL.

Over the last 17 years I have held a number of positions that have required me to give presentations on various topics across the United States. Often, when presenting to predominately White audiences someone will approach me after a presentation and offer up as a compliment, “You are very articulate.” What they don’t know is that is an indirect insult. I have never heard anyone walk up to a fellow panelist who happens to be White and compliment they on their ability to speak fluently and coherently. I don’t want to be rude (like that person was) so I will express appreciation for the “compliment.” It is this sort of subconscious bias that a lot of professional Black males deal with on a daily basis.

Young black gang kids scare America.

September 29, 2014 #afterferguson, Black, black male, crime, David Evans, gang, image, PBS, scare, Seattle, stereotype, trouble, WA, youth

David Evans,
Seattle, WA.

People equate young black gang members with crime and trouble… I was watching the PBS special and when the young black guys were speaking I felt they were in gangs and up to no good. You need to change the image of the young male black gang image or you will not make any progress…

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