Black men have been some of the most complex creatures to walk the face of the Earth. Black men are also, believe it or not, are very significant figures in our society. Our forefathers were the very builders of American civilization. From the beginning of time, black men have been the strength and backbone of any civilization we have been a part of. This reaches way back to our roots in Afraka (European spelling: Africa) before the slaves were brought, via the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to the New World or the modern day United States of America. However, the change our ancestors did make once they arrived is absolutely profound. Men of African ancestry carry a very complex spirituality left to us by our ancestors, which some of us know about and master while others live oblivious to its presence. We still carry this essence regardless of the pressure of expected assimilation and social conformity placed against us.

Society has historically discriminated against black males, our heritage and our culture. Black men have been among the most oppressed groups of people in the world, but specifically here in the United States. From the olden times of slavery up to this very day, men of color have been looked down upon in terms of class or status, and have been expected to be unreliable, lazy, rebellious and below the standard of respect. These opinions exist because the world knows that the strength of the black man is his will. Since white supremacy has been so infectious in our communities, making our own people believe that black men are nothing, today there are many black women who don’t see Black men in a particularly positive light. Those black women perceive all black men as unreliable spouses and fathers which, itself, is the repeating cycle of a torn past. This is not present in every black family, but unfortunately, some families are affected by this particular scenario generation after generation. I understand that it's very arguable, but I believe that the black man is naturally one of the most fatherly creatures on the planet. Then again, most of our natural selves have been stripped by white assimilation.

At this point, I would like to introduce "The William 'Willie' Lynch Letter: The Making of a Slave." (Some historians say that the document is a hoax, which may be a distractive tactic, but it makes a lot of sense to me!). For those of you who have not taken the time to read the address, it is said to be written in 1712 by one William Lynch who was a successful slaver in his day, and it is a very detailed instruction manual of proven methods on how to break down a slave and turn them against one another (this introduces modern day colorism), and make them serve unconditionally and without retaliation. The goal was to interrupt the powerful flow of the Africans’ psyche, and rip to shreds the fabric of what they have known and been taught for millennia. That kind of mental strength would not allow one to serve another in fear. Many people still cannot understand why slavery is still discussed so much today. The simple fact of it is that things such as the Willie Lynch Letter have left residual wounds on the subconscious psyche of black people.

Men are not allowed to speak on feminism, but today I dare to do so. Now, I must make a point to say that I 100 percent support the teaching of women to love, honor and respect themselves, especially young black women. No, women do not have to take from themselves to please a man. In fact, any woman with low self-esteem just simply isn’t my type, but I also refuse to have a woman who cannot show me love and respect as well. Here is my position on radical feminism: It is not right for one to make themselves feel happy at the expense of another. Not all self-proclaimed feminists teach this way, but some of them teach in a way that is anti-male and makes men ashamed for being what they are—men. Granted, there are some terrible men out there, but the decent men should not have to suffer for the ones who can’t get a grip. Black men, in particular, are torn down enough by general society, the last thing we need is for our beloved black women to tell us that we are worthless and only taking up space. However, it is most shameful that some of those anti-male feministic views can be justified or proven correct by the actions of Black men who aren’t there for their families, don’t respect women and aren’t kind people to begin with.

All in all, the black male is terribly misunderstood, and it is his complexity to blame. The black male can be confusing and people are often scared of the things they can’t clearly comprehend. When one misunderstands something he will first fear it, then he will try to make sense of it. This will lead to assumptions being made, false accusations being made; this is the place where prejudice is created. Regardless of how our oppressors feel about us, the black male has everything to be proud of and should always take the initiative in raising our families and advocating for the progression of our people. Education should be a major priority in our lives, because when you know better, you do better and we can only advance. Being a black man is not about conformity, nor is it about compromise or assimilation to the outside world. It’s about being the strong tower of your people and building a world of your own since you are obviously not welcome to the one we live in today. The black community as a whole must support and encourage black men to always become better versions of themselves. Also, black men absolutely must love, support, and build empires with one another. The plan cannot work to its full effect if this does not occur. There is no one way to be a good black man, that would defeat the ideal of our complexity. Black men, we must build up our own self-esteem, once we gain that profound respect for ourselves and other people in our lives, the world will follow suit. I firmly believe that black boys and men need the caliber of empowerment that black girls and women receive. Because we are hated so much, we need someone to love us too.

JàMichael Turner

Writing since June 2017 · 1 story contributed