The big scary Black man: Black masculinity, the media, and the development of the Black male psyche

Student Union 310

There are two wars being waged for the black male mind and body. The first is an external war against the negative stereotypes, discrimination, racism, and oppressive policies placed upon Black men. This is done in an attempt to control society's perception of positive black manhood. The second is an internal war in which the Black male is fighting his own belief in the negativity of Black manhood that is in conflict with his historical and lived experience. Society has been inundated with images of black men as being dumb, deviant, and dangerous through the media and popular culture. The negative images presented across these mediums have contributed to the creation of an environment in which Black men feel hopeless and powerless. This presentation will explore the impact of the media on Black masculinity development with a focus on the relationship between social oppression (racial discrimination) and cultural identity suppression (internalization of socially constructed negative stereotypes of Black masculinity). Additionally, this presentation will discuss the impact of the relationship between these variables on the unique experience of mental illness in Black males as well as helpful interventions with a focus on anger/aggression and depression. The presenters will focus on increasing the participant’s knowledge in regards to the intersection between media exposure and Black masculinity development. In addition, participants will be engaged in a discussion concerning the impact of the media, via the experience of social oppression and cultural identity suppression, on the manifestation of mental illness symptoms in Black males.