Abstract
This paper discusses black masculinity in terms of class and educational achievement.

Tags:black masculinity, underclass, education

Abstract
This paper compares the expression of black masculinity as seen in two films, Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" and Denzel Washington's "Antwone Fisher".

From the Paper
"In two films, "Antwone Fisher" and "Malcolm X", we see two different portrayals of black masculinity that evoke the progress in race relations in the United States. This is progress that has caused change in black masculinity in African-American males. In "Malcolm X", black masculinity is presented as one that is abusive toward women and views them as sex objects. Black masculinity is equated to anger, violence and radicalism. In "Antwone Fisher", modern black masculinity is tempered by racial progress and demands a more sensitive..."

Tags:violence, sexism, racism, prejudice, culture, socialization, sexuality, activism, hostility, crime

Abstract
The paper is a study of the views of masculinity created in E. Lynn Harris's "Invisible Life", a novel of a man discovering his sexuality in the context of black culture. The paper also studies Harris' book in relation to "Invisible Man" by African-American Ralph Ellison.

From the Paper
"Racism has become very subversive. Whites have begun to embrace a more politically correct social code, so African-Americans have become even harsher to one another. Some are even eager to see others fail, and gladly celebrate the fall of others. In Invisible Life one can see certain characters that glory in bringing others down- Basil immediately comes to mind. He behaves like a petulant child- throwing a tantrum when he does not get his way, and just as fickle as a two-year old. There are those characters that are always commenting on color; obviously having problems with those that are lighter-skinned (yellowish) or darker-complexioned people ("African") than themselves."

Tags:bisexual, gay, Raymond, Tyler, Jr, Charles, Nero

Abstract
This paper introduces the above book , regarding his enslavement and eventual escape to freedom. Specifically, it discusses how Frederick Douglass's "Narrative" reveals the experiences and dilemmas of masculinity of enslaved black men in the early 19th century United States. It analyzes how slavery was the ultimate emasculator and how men and women suffered indignities, cruel punishments and how many lost their will to fight back against the incredible odds of their captivity. It looks at how Frederick Douglass was convinced the only thing that could keep slaves from fighting for freedom was losing their manhood and then they were doomed.

From the Paper
"Douglass did not stop urging others to revive their manhood even after he gained his freedom. In his speech of 1852, "What to the Slave is the 4th of July, he admonishes his listeners to never forget the manhood of slaves. "Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man? That point is conceded already. Nobody doubts it. The slaveholders themselves acknowledge it in the enactment of laws for their government. They acknowledge it when they punish disobedience on the part of the slave." It is clear masculinity and the ability to openly declare this masculinity was a terrible burden for male slaves to bear, because it is a continual topic of discussion in slave narratives, such as Douglass'. Holding on to their masculinity was also one of the only ways slaves could maintain their dignity, especially when they were punished in front of other slaves, but it was also one way they maintained the strength and determination to gain their freedom."

Tags:manhood, slavery, freedom, blacks, captivity

Abstract
This essay discusses Bell Hooks' book "Black Looks, Race and Representation". In relation to three other related works, the paper examines how Hooks argues that the African-American male is forced by the white supremacist society to adopt certain masculine traits embedded in the patriarchal system. Thus, we see how the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy socially constructs oppression.

Tags:review, bell, hooks

Abstract
The paper comments that African-American culture has evolved significantly in the past two decades and while the overall socio-economic conditions of African-Americans within the United States have changed substantially for the better, their cultural and institutional instincts can only be subjectively understood. The paper states that one of the growing phenomenons of this era is the emergence of sports, not only as part of their cultural legacy, but as a defining factor in masculinity. This paper looks at the cultural phenomenon of black masculinity as it is defined through the evolution of basketball into an almost defining form of masculinity within African-American culture. The paper states that basketball has transcended the development of networks and social apparatus to become an institutional concept of identity for the black community. The paper notes further that not only has it impacted youth but it is in the process of redefining traditional African-American values and attitudes.

From the Paper
"The unprecedented success of the Lakers' three championship runs had many consequences on the media, the players, and the youth culture that thrived on their heroes' achievements. Michael Jordan once jokingly told Chicago Tribune reporter Bob Greene, "The media's crazy, they never let you go. It's like once they start following you, there's no more privacy". Although Kobe Bryant and the Lakers did not garner the same media blitz that Jordan endured throughout his career, they definitely felt the glitz and glamour of public adoration. Kobe subsequently made twelve commercials for Reebok in the year after their first championship. He signed multimillion dollar contracts with four different companies including one with Adidas for 80 million dollars. Magazines from ESPN to GQ all fought to feature him, as his reputation and name became part of the image of American basketball."

Tags:networks, cultural, institutional, phenomenon, championship

Abstract
This paper examines the human behavior towards Black single mothers. The paper explains that giving a hand to poor or needy Black women, particularly Black single mothers, requires knowledge of Black history and welfare and an understanding of their experience in that context. The paper looks at how while White society confined its women to the home as housekeepers, Black women in the South did not have that option even if their husbands could support them. The paper then points out that in 1996, US President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act to replace the AFDC. It allowed women to work and controlled their reproductive ability which mostly benefited Black mothers and their children. The paper concludes that genuine assistance to any specific group should be drawn from the history and experience of that group. In the case of Black single mothers, the social worker needs to know and understand their long and painful history.

From the Paper
"Masters of Black slaves bred them as livestock, pairing Black men and Black women with the intention of producing the best offspring, which would perform the best labor and bring in the greatest economic gain (Prince 1999). With their emancipation as full citizens, laws passed to modify and improve their condition. These laws protected them from physical abuse, allowed them to travel, build their own schools, buy land and learn useful skills, which later made many of them succeed as entrepreneurs. Emancipation may have eased but sexual discrimination remained, as neither White nor Black women were allowed to vote."

Tags:politics, social, work, masculine, beating

Abstract
The following paper attempts to show how the identity of man is accepted or not, by the society within which he lives. The author makes reference to several novels and plays in order to show the challenge involved in communicating across our barriers of race and religion, class, color and region. He cites August Wilson?s play Fences where he expores three generations of African-American men and the generational changes of each man from the Reconstruction Era to the late 1950's. In the other works examined he discusses the acceptance of individuals within a society, family identity and black masculinity.

From the paper:

?Go Tell It to the Mountain is Baldwin?s examination into his own family, one that?s more introspective, bound nonetheless by personal experiences. In the novel Florence shares some of Ursa?s perception of love and men. Florence is unable to love because she?s jealous of her brother Gabriel, whom their mother devoted her attention upon; the affect of her friend?s Deborah?s rape; and Gabriel?s apparent life of debauchery. She believes all men are distrustful, driven by lust, desiring control of their women. Surprisingly, Deborah married a man to secure the material comforts she never had in life; in fact, she?s become rather obsessive about materialism, preferring it to the humanism that she has discarded from herself. Her hostility toward men, particularly Gabriel, has sterilized her own happiness. The theme of sterility threatens family foundations, especially with Gabriel.?

Tags:Family, identity, civil, rights, discrimination, racism, freedom, societal, placementGo, Tell, It, James, Baldwin

Abstract
This essay explores the concept of masculinity from several different perspectives. The paper first shows how "man" is often used, its connotations, and how the term may be linguistically problematic. The author asserts that the term "man" may also imply being a part of humanity, which has had implications for the enslaved as well as victims of prejudice. In particular, the author examines the experience of black males and their experience of racism and denial of human rights. The author concludes by encouraging adults to simply behave in a mature and responsible manner regardless of gender.

From the Paper
"It is true that sometimes, being a man is equated with just simply being human, as in the phrase 'mankind.' This definition is problematic, since it means that women are excluded from the definition of humanity, or encompassed in a definition of manhood that excludes femininity from generic personhood. "The political philosophy of republican citizenship, which Americans originally borrowed from European Enlightenment thinkers, equated the 'rights of man' with the rights of all citizens. Since men were the only voters in most nineteenth century political contests, voting rights and citizenship were directly linked to manhood. This connection between citizenship and manhood shaped the language, strategies and objectives of political and social reform" (Estes, 2005). Advocates of female equality have rightly protested this easy association of being human with being a member of the male gender, preferring the word 'humankind' to mankind, when speaking about all persons."

Tags:manhood, male, machismo, gender, roles, masculinity

Abstract
This paper discusses the literary use of symbolism specifically in children's literature. The paper examines "Jane Eyre" by C. Bronte, "Coventry Patmore" by E. J. Oliver, and A. Sewell's "Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse". Through these works, the paper identifies the symbolic nature of the literary characters in relation to the treatment of women in the Victorian, masculine society.

From the Paper
"Animals might be cute and attractive characters in children's literature but they usually carry great symbolic values. One of the most foundational examples of the way in which an animal character can be read as a symbol of society is found in Anna Sewell's Black Beauty. Within this work there are countless examples of the ways in which the treatment of the character, Black beauty and the treatment of women by the masculine society of the Victorian era can be closely matched, the whole autobiography of the horse as it is called, in fact through its early life, the breaking in to its later life as an injured overworked unrecognized steed and finally to his place as the carriage horse for a group of young ladies can be seen as a timeline for the life of a woman from a loving home where she is taught manners, to a marriage where she realizes the depth of her toil and responsibility to the glory years of her place as the caretaker of her children."

Tags:black, beauty, jane, eyre