By Kofi Forson
Bro-love is not a queer thing.
The “Man-crush” is as Oscar Wilde as me wanting to be Anthony Borden Ward’s biographer after seeing a photographic spread in a fashion magazine.
Man seeing himself in another man is ultimate representation of brotherhood and "mirroring".
This is a given in father/son relationships, or brother to brother; perhaps even in the mentor/teacher and student.
Brotherhood in African-American community is well-served as post-slavery/civil rights method for togetherness; preferably organized in progressive music of James Brown or latter day Stevie Wonder; not to mention decades of 60s and 70s which saw an organizing of pro-black marches, more so “Black Power” chants in black communities as they saw civil rights leaders murdered.
The understanding here of blackness and masculinity as observed among Black American men stems from family structure; role of the father, as well as other men featured along the family tree.
What is dialogue between father and son, brother to brother, or with other black boys/men?
Places which merit such communication, once again highlights importance of family structure, schooling or church, an after school program or boys club/YMCA. How does it lead to neighborhood activities between black boys/men in general?
My assertion here and it will be stressed later is Gregory Pardlo's expression that the black diaspora is an imagined place.
As he spoke during a Skype presentation of his poetry hosted by poet, George Wallace, Pardlo, talking about Brooklyn communities he has been part of, spoke about generalization of black diaspora, how we as a people, knowing of our blackness, should all merit and prosper from the diaspora.
However so, the black person, male/female, inhabits an inner space separate from each and every other black person.
I hereby defiantly claim, much as no one person is the same, certainly no black person is the same as his fellow black brother or sister.
As Michael Jackson sang so beautifully about “Man in the Mirror”.
The fight is with society, what James Baldwin claims in the quote,”“Precisely at the point when you begin to develop a conscience you must find yourself at war with your society.”
However much discipline one finds in this quote, the greater war is with the self.
We as a black society haven't adopted the existential claim of “Who am I? What am I?”.
The French theorists and philosophers have reflected on a Jean-Paul Sartre definition of “the self”; humans searching for and creating their own identity - “Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself”.
Black male conscience on subject of masculinity veers from existential value of self and harps on concept of Roman gladiator, whereby the black man is at war not with himself or society but other black men.
Quite early in this essay to talk about imprisoning of black men, but as crucial a subject as it is to Black masculinity, perhaps better to highlight “raping of the black mind”; slavery, colonial and post colonial force and power entrusted by white supremacy.
An understanding of whiteness, overall, must be implied.
What worth and discipline, or anything of value, can one discern from white structure; its particulars, men, organizations and systems' devaluing base of black existence?
Post-conscientiously and controversially, some speak of slavery as misspeak of hope and opportunity.
When price can be placed on a human person for servitude it cancels and omits any means of personhood or self-claim.
Liberty within this is proclamation for freedom as in the “runaway slave” or abolitionist.
What is white rule? How did it serve as cancellation of black progress, hence; oppressing an entire race.
Subjectively what fundamental claims can one make for inter-relativity, upsurge of power, moral perceptions, under-defined and often unexplored meaning of race.
Knowingly we must form conclusion on inter-communicative existence as to “what is black” and “what is white”.
Freed spaces must be given to intellectual upholding on interpretation of what has been white ruling and enslaving of communities and its people through out history.
What balance must be shown to allow for this further explanation?
If challenge of the black male is to free himself of white authoritarian rule; what is #post #post conscientiously called “decolonizing”, shouldn't there be a binding conscience that allows for an intellectual face-off where both sides assert counter-dependence.
When the black man looks in the mirror does he see shades of a white person?
Outrightly, a #post conscious black man removes all notion of anything white from his identity and persona.
In the war with society, does one not look at himself and see his enemy? Doesn't means of claiming status as healed and being conscientiously aware mean one is free of his enemy.
If Baldwin's claim is that we seek war with society once we become conscientiously aware, do we not then place importance on maneuverability from our professed target?
Is mission to wage war, racially motivated or is it the blatant misuse of government?
Does the war a black man wages meant to target white authority?
Can he see beyond the man he wants to be, without having an understanding of the white man's claim of superiority?
If this is war one wages with society, who ends up victorious, and when?
This again feeds into notion of the Roman gladiator, but in essence knack for competition is an American ideal.
The construct of the Black American male's disposition is more American than European or even African.
I come back to notion of diaspora, making sure in explaining further black male identity, there is an overwhelming reality which strengthens black and white dynamic as rooted in American race systems.
The fight; be it Roman gladiator reference, shoot out at the O.K. Corral, or two B-Boys in a spitting battle; Black masculinity originates from his enslavement, bondage and torture of his experience, his self-definition of who and what the white man is, his, the black man's need for freedom; a need which pulls from making peace with this torture.
Then again this is definitive of my interpretation of Black American masculinity.
Per chance removed from ignorance, masculinity generally showcases one's ability to “fuck up a muthufucka” or “bust a nut”.
In the Hollywood-ized /pop cultural reference, masculinity is derivative of sex and violence; however represented in fuck-films or internet porn and Playstation.
Objectified view of masculinity must serve both self-dependence, dependence from a governing and crippling system, betterment of one's role in a community, how that meets an ultimate end for peace and salvaging of sanity and intellect.
Black male builds on this truth with his role as pimp, thug and ability to politick.
As pimp, he uses his "mack" deliverance to seduce girls/women into gaining an advantage for sexual pleasure, or manipulating them into performing services for monetary benefits.
It is not only a male governance of women; it is also manipulation of seductive power in dealing with other men; forming means of control where one can at times serve as lone shark, given moment of asserting power, he is able to emasculate another man.
A pimp has psychological advantage in his mastering of grit with sensitivity; thereby able to encourage dialogue on sex, seduction and explanation for gender roles, however biased or macho.
The thug, on the other hand, maximizes his authority by physical force and self-defense. He uses his masculine prowess to get what he wants by all means.
There are those who chose this role as way of criminal behavior.
Most of the time it is manipulated in street disputes, neighborhood and territorial misunderstandings.
Furthermore, this is most highlighted and featured in gang war.
In another extreme it is relevant in prison culture.
Politicking is managed at certain places; locally at the bar or barbershop, but most definitely what qualifies the black male's masculinity as someone who knows only how to fight and “fuck” is someone who manages a discussion.
In talking or speaking, he can rally a group or community into serving or reclaiming one's pride for replenishing goodness within family or social status.
Given these principalities in defining Black masculinity, what is the balancing of pride, blackness and masculinity when a person struggles with keeping mental health due to drug addiction or a psychiatric diagnosis?
Deficiency among many black men originates as previously mentioned within family structure. It begins there, first, because it is here where principals are set for self-improvement, whether observance in role a father may have played, uncles or grandfather.
Given education, one becomes aware of roles black men in history may have played.
Knowing of genetic disorders and addictions sets premise for what a black man of disability is able to do for himself.
Problem with defining for one's self a mental disability and seeking help is the restraint of many black men to seek help, which in a sense is viewed as weak or “pussy”.
Therein lies disadvantage of many disabled black men who self-medicate with recreational drugs and may exhibit signs of mania or depression by committing crime or engaging in physical confrontations.
The progressive advantage of a black man who comes from a good family and lives mildly above a middle class status and suffers from psychiatric disability is someone who has support and therefore does not feel alone as a black man of misfortune who uses prison or gang culture to build comradery.
Upsurge in masculinity of a black man who is well-represented in society is someone who has confidence and is able to pursue his dreams; an over-riding reality in every person, black or white; means by which one can stand alone and be able to contribute as well as commit to better planning.
Balancing of power made relevant to body-sizing among black men is the sensing or reading of another black man's mental frame or psychology.
This is an unwritten dialogue most black men have in the streets, professionally, within families and most understandably in prison.
It is also a matter of role playing; who supposes power as criminal or victim.
The battle waged in the streets is between those who are of the streets; perhaps live in the streets, are displaced and homeless, or are in keeping with criminal activity and those who walk the streets, as normal citizens.
Manner of approach is survival using street tactics or plainly being aware. The dispute often is who is more masculine, man with physical prowess or that of a person with street smarts.
Often, man with combination of education, experience and street smarts is the person who exhibits level of masculinity which is influential and circumstantially commanding.
Examples can be given in prison, mental institution or transitional housing.
These environments are not for faint of heart. Certainly those who are privileged, sensitive and prioritize a safe family living are prone to be challenged.
Means of survival can only be expressed by someone who is receiving and inclusive in his behavior. A person of this balance and centeredness is born into this role; a person of talent, someone who spits rhymes, tags, illustrates, plays an instrument.
His masculinity is form of self-governance. Achieving this level of fluidity accomplishes form of uniformity and balance.
The street term “pussy nigga” is usually applied to such a person whose sensitive nature is constantly in question. He often has to proclaim a defining status by being extremely good at his hobby or talent. This occasionally wins him over his doubters.
Another term perhaps would be “pussy faggot”, certainly not the political status a queer person would seek.
Black queer male can estimate his status from overwhelming aspect of many different factions.
Psychic and emotional incest are complex norms which receive less and less attention and are not given priority as actual incest.
Incest of the psychic and emotional variety are suggestive nonetheless. They inhabit conscience of certain families.
In these cases, a father-figure may covertly fantasize about his son, not verbalized, but sensed due to sensitivity of son, or implied through sexual suggestiveness of father.
Emotional incest can involve a case where the mother lives out her fantasies of her husband through the son; whereby there are no actual cases of sex, but once again comments or behavior may imply that notion.
Given maximization of suggested rape; upholding of power over another, be it from father to son or brother to brother, there's victimization and a robbing of one's sexual priority, perhaps due to actual rape.
Genetically, sexual disorders or assertion of gender preference also live in families.
Psycho-sexual disposition of a black man can be influenced by introduction to prison culture.
Whitened conscience of a black man can also contribute to various ways in which he approaches sexuality.
Hyper-sexuality, on the other-hand can be product of one's psychiatric diagnosis.
Diseased mind of a black man may result from being performed on by another man, masturbating in public, unwarranted fondling of women in public places or committing to molestation and, or rape.
Black masculinity is represented in everyday body-sizing black men have of each other, over-ride in politics, strain in sporting activities and sexual performance.
The family structure is ultimately where the black male gains ground in becoming represented as black and male.
Without positioning of himself within the greater and bigger picture of life, employment and society, he is at a disadvantage at gaining self-respect, respect from family or peers.
As a black man living in America he is forced to look at and examine principles ordered by a governing white exterior.
Much of what he imbibes determines amount of influence white entity has over him.
Somehow root of white influence is an unavoidable conclusion; this is definitive and made present in our inter-connectivity and inter-relatability.
Controversy from this stems from root and understanding of governance, whiteness, and prioritizing of rules and conducts in history.
“Fuck the nigga up!” - may be gangsta.
An O.G. may control conduct of every single person on a block.
The educated black male approaches self-governance intellectually and spiritually. In doing so he is part of an order of a bigger picture; how his blackness meets whiteness as means of balance and definition.
Meanwhile thinking #post #post consciously, he is able to uphold status as black person beyond the manner and grip of imprisonment, as well as self-imprisonment.
