Midterm Essay - Week 7/8

           I am writing an essay that is addressed to be towards anyone who has a direct effect on black men as whole. In particular, politicians, teachers, counselors, and the media.  In class, we discussed that stereotypes about black men have negatively affected the black family. Stereotypes justify and promote ways of viewing our social world and people’s position within it, so they are not all necessarily true. “Ethnic Notions” showed that these stereotypes originated from minstrel shows which black face, which characterized African-Americans in negative aspects. These stereotypes still live in multiple different forms today. Some of these stereotypes include the “Sambo”, “Coon”, “Uncle Tom”, “Buck”. These stereotypes have evolved to ideas today that black men are lazy and do not want to work, that they are sexually aggressive, great athletes and rappers, promiscuous, don’t take care of their children, and are criminals. There are very few stereotypes about black men that are positive, and some black men do not even realize that they are living up to stereotypes.
         Africentric theory suggests that behavior is function of a person and their environment. The African-centered behavior change model states that there are four different quadrants representing Authentic, Adopted, Adapted, and Aberrant behaviors. This supports the idea that development from early childhood to adolescence is crucial to outcomes of black men. In addition, it suggests that African-Americans may have different values than their Eurocentric white counterparts here in America. If more are black men are pulled towards adapted and authentic behaviors, it will be beneficial. The seven Nguzo Saba principles are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). If these principles are performed early on in age, it will help. Another theory that will help black men is the social-ecological theory, which suggests that people act as a reaction to individual, micro, exo/meso, and macro factors that each play a role in a different way. Some examples of this include individual face-to-face influences, State Laws, schools, churches, neighborhoods, and parent-school programs.

            Studies show that women are held to more responsibilities within the family because perform more in the home, opposed to men who are more associated with money and work outside the home. Studies from the Hammond article suggest that black men value manhood and responsibility as the two major things they want to hold up to. In addition to these, autonomy, providing, and spirituality were also highly valued by African-American men. The Bethea article suggests that another way to promote black counselors who can help with mental attitudes of black men. She states that counselors of other races, specifically white women, need to understand that black men think differently and go through many different situations than their white counterparts.

Potential ways to prevent these negative stereotypes from continuing would be to get rid of as many of the stereotypes as possible from the media and promote positive healthy relationships between black men and society. Another solution would be to increase support for success among black males within the family. If there is more support from mentors, teachers, counselors, and parents at a younger age, black men will feel the need to become successful for their own satisfaction instead of getting involved in actions that will make them end up in jail or not become successful and supportive for the family as a whole. This is possible for black men as long as we people who are willing to change the way that things are now.