I will stand very firmly behind my theories about race, gender, etc., but I’m not an academic and I don’t have designs on becoming one. I graduated from a great university and I do foresee myself returning to school for a Master’s degree as soon I figure out what I’ma get it in and who gon’ pay for it. But it’s unlikely that I’ll ever be a PhD in Women’s Studies or something of the sort. I still feel I can provide a viable and informed voice of my generation on matters of race, gender and sexual equality, with specific attention to Black relationships and family. However, I have the utmost admiration members of the academy who fight the good fight and I think we are in the presence of a brother who is poised to make some trememdous waves in Negro academia and the community at large.
R. L’Heureux Lewis is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Black Studies at the City College of New York and describes his areas of specialty as “racial and ethnic relations with research and activism that concentrates on educational inequality, race-related public policy, and mental health functioning”. Dr. Lewis recieved his PhD in Public Policy and Sociology from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Sociology from the school I have such a love/hate relationship with, Morehouse College. In addition to his teaching and his many media appearances, he maintains a very cool blog and is active on Twitter. Like Marc Lamont Hill, I find most impressive Dr. Lewis’ fluidity and ability to speak to both the academy and the the layperson. These brothers are of the ‘Hip-Hop Generation’ and are witty, relatable and in touch with their people in a way that is essential to translating all that fancy thesis stuff in to tangible, street-level action. And they’re both absurdly brilliant; I’m honestly honored that Dr. Lewis even has conversations with me. He could totally be like “Go fetch me my book satchel and my leather bepatched blazer, you silly little BFA!”
One of the primary reasons I’m part of the R. L’Heureux Lewis booster club is his brilliant take on Black male privelege. As some of you may recall, another brilliant brother by the name of Jewel Woods published The Black Male Privileges Checklist in 2008. And, unsurprisingly, it went over about as well as trying to explain to your average liberal White person how they benefit from White privilege. Brothers’ reactions ranged from “I don’t have any privlege if (insert checklist of every tragedy befalling Black American men) “ to “Black women are doing better than us now, the White man always gave her things we couldn’t have“ and “I’m not sexist! All my b!tches is women!” It was ironic (and, for me, utterly depressing) to see my own brothers make the same excuses and denials White people have made to us when confronted by their racial privelege. Even the men who seemed willing to engage parts of the list decided to let the more ‘trivial’ items be fodder for them to write Woods’ ideas off all together. Just yesterday, one of the smartest, most forward thinking fellas I know stated that “attacking “privilege” seems like an attempt to tear down” and called BMP a “laughable amount of privlege” that hasn’t gotten Black men very far.
This is where Dr. Lewis’ voice is a lot stronger than my own and not just because men expressing these sorts of ideas are ALWAYS more respected than women. He gave a great speech at Morehouse’s Founders Symposium earlier this month, “Shadowboxing the Self: Confronting Black Male Privilege”. It is my sincerest wish that you all watch this video and give these ideas your deepest consideration. The definition of Black male privelege and the ideas surrounding it’s ugly hold on our community are still evolving. Writings such as Angela Davis’ Race, Sex and Class and Michele Wallace’s Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman (the most important book I have ever read in my LIFE and available in my Amazon store) created the groundwork for this conversation, but it is taking on new levels and meanings today. The challenges we face in getting women and men inside and outside of the academy to accept this concept are great. I’d submit, as Sir Fabulous Himself pointed out to me last year, this is a list primarily of Black hetrosexual male privelges. I also think that the role of Christianity in the Black community, which touches you even if you are a willing dissenter, will make BMP a harder pill to swallow because it challenges some ideas of rights afforded by gender roles.
I think Dr. Lewis has done a tremendous job extending Woods’ ideas and presents a very easy to understand introduction to the concept of intra-racial gendered privilege. We speak so often of the specific challenges of the race that need to be confronted and I personally feel that these challenges will not ever be met if we don’t break down the wall created by our issues with misogyny. While some may argue that some of these privileges are across color lines, it is worth noting how even those hinder the ability of the Black man and woman to come to a level of mutual respect to confront our shared issues and recommit ourselves to creating healthy Black families. All of that said, please open your minds and your hearts and give Dr. Lewis’ speech some thought.
Very nice read!
I can honestly say, I’ve never even heard the term black male privilege before today. Dr. Lewis is a very engaging speaker, who brought up and expounded on far more than a few points that I agree with or have thought over in the past, during conversations with friends– moreso after reading news articles (both op. ed types as well as news, reportings findings or happenings).
I will admit, I should have checked out your prior post on BMP before watching and reading this one however. Does a tv guide come with your blog, sheesh (j/k) lol.
The greatest thing (to me) about this video, this entry, and this platform is how it relentlessly tries to have us look at ourselves. As a person who would have never considered himself sexist or privileged, I actually appreciate it being pointed out. Sure sometimes I get defensive, I think that’s human nature but as long as I am willing to revisit and listen to the dialogue then nothing is in vain.
It is a struggle and one that is far from beautiful, but it is beautiful that you and others are willing to champion and endure it.
dr. lewis did this whole idea much more justice than Jewel Woods, IMHO. lewis frames the subject in a context that allows you to see his vision. by assigning the visibility of BMP to the college and university, he both specifies whom he is speaking of, and exhibits the flaw in the nomenclature. as it has been presented, BMP is a misnomer. What dr. Lewis has described seems to be irrelevant to the overwhelming majority of black men, as the majority of us are not, have not and will not be enrolled at morehouse college or any other college / university.
IMHO, dr. lewis strongest arguments were at the very end of his lecture. having lived in the dominican republic and having lengthy stays in bahia, the boarish behaviour and attitudes displayed by those operating under the guise of privilege was disgusting. when my brother’s ace returned from his trip to rio and began explaining his sex industry exploits, we asked him if he was satisfied reducing his peoples to such lows. and knowing this dude well, he was an embodiment of the myth.
in the same vein of time wise’s “myth of white privilege” these black men seem to be operating in a false reality. they seem to be acting out according to their fears. they fear that for all of their striving and doing what they have been told will make them valuable, they will still be treated like the riff-raff, arrested on the porches of their own homes without prejudice. they fear that for all the elitism higher (costing) education has afforded them, it means zilch outside beyond those very same boundaries.
perhaps playing a predominantly white sport at a predominantly white school and having VERY different domestic violence experiences has left me unable to grip this on the level it’s being administered? maybe i just don’t know. but as it stands, this does not jive with me.
when explored deeper, i believe the next installment of this lecture will be “the myth of black male privilege.”
Thank you for your appreciation, Cody and your thoughts Mr. RLW and Mr. A!!!!
FrankTalkDC:
“in the same vein of time wise’s “myth of white privilege” these black men seem to be operating in a false reality. they seem to be acting out according to their fears. they fear that for all of their striving and doing what they have been told will make them valuable, they will still be treated like the riff-raff, arrested on the porches of their own homes without prejudice. they fear that for all the elitism higher (costing) education has afforded them, it means zilch outside beyond those very same boundaries. ”
Your own words pretty much validate my reasons for taking on this fight. It seems that you cannot properly process the idea of BMP because you are comparing yourself to White men and not Black women. The fact that your privelege has no weight amongst other people has nothing to do with the crushing weight this privilege has on Black women and our abilty as a community to challenge White supremacy. The fact that your entire arguement centers around Black manhood as it relates to the academy and White manhood is very telling. With all due respect, this “lecture” hardly supports your idea that BMP is a misnomer. I’d take this one back to the drawing board.
I haven’t watched the video yet, but I can’t wait.
Maybe in America, the Black Male Privilege is not as obvious, but it is blatant from where I am from… So Black Male Privilege is a reality whether acknowledged by the privileged or not.
I usually tell my guy (African) friends that they are most likely the luckiest species on earth. They grow up adored and admired by everybody from their moms, their dads, sisters, female relatives, wives and then children… It is a mental privilege like I have seen very few have…. I am glad Black Men are looking at the issue with an honest look. Slowly but surely, we’ll eventually get there.
I watched several of the video on Dr. Lewis’ website. While I enjoyed the content, I was very disappointed in the response from the Morehouse Students to the talk on sexuality and media. They questioned the idea of black women being stereotyped as “gold-diggers” in videos, going as far to say that it might be “ingrained” in women. BUT, they had a huge problem with the way Black men are stereotyped in those same videos (ie, uneducated, violent, etc). These are our future *male* leaders, but they can’t see their own hypocrisy. SMH
mr. lewis lecture was firmly rooted in the university experience, so that is what i addressed. black man, woman and child suffer under this patriarchy.
when i lived in ledroit park, this was a common conversation topic in our house. it was always sparked by our white, female housemate and her belief that gender was a bigger issue to black women than race. she was repeatedly shot down by myself and ALL of the black women that frequented the crib and joined the discussion. thrice women expressed the sentiment, “yes being black, hard. black woman, double bind. but thank god i am not a black man.”
maybe there is bmp amongst the “elite” but i ain’t them, so call me blind, cuz i jus don’t see it.
furthermore i do not see further compartmentalization as a solution to anything. i am not with quantifying and qualifying oppression.
i just do not see this as applicable to the mass of black men. just my thoughts.
FrankTalkDC- So one White girl trying to argue feminism in the face of some Black women who are not at all enamoured by the concept somehow render this entire concept invalid? Because of some conversations had at your house with some people you know. All due respect, I’m filing round two of your case under “Talking, yet not saying a thing”. I believe it is the sexism that exists and supports BMP that keeps your female friends from being able to wrap their brains around the concept. It is BMP that has these women who have likely done no real engaging of feminist thought and how it might apply to Black life running around declaring their own pain as lesser than yours. One of the other arguements against the existance of BMP (albeit stronger than yours) is that it quantifies Black female pain as worse than Black male pain. That is not the case. The notion that these women you surround yourself with are spewing this idea that Black male life is somehow ‘worse’ than Black female life is reprehensible and embarassing.
So this is what happens when I am gone (yes i was making noise in NYC for the month of Feb…)
Thanks for the intro to the new blog.
It is very difficult to discuss black male privilege amongst my peers. The thing with Woods was that he gave us a list of a 100 issues we have. I think that was a little too much to intro to an enter gender of men who actually never heard of “male privilege” (just like there are truck loads of white folks who never heard of the term “white privilege).
Not to mention the fact that Woods book on Brothers going to brazil was horrible.
soo glad you are back. i’ve always wanted to tell you that you make me think. thank you for that. going to suggest this video to my psychology of the African American experience class.
per the video…eye opening, even for a black woman.
p.s. those purple shoes at the bottom of the page…hot!
Dantresomi and Naomi- Thanks a lot!!!
It is important to mention that the topic of Black Male Privilege is based largely on the work of Jewel Woods, MSW, Founder and Executive Director of the Renaissance Male Project (www.renaissancemaleproject.com) and author of “The Black Male Privilege Checklist” (2008). He authored the critically acclaimed book, “Don’t Blame It On Rio.”
It is also important to point out that The Black Male Privilege Checklist is a tool that organizations, communities and individuals can use to help them navigate and explore this explosive topic.
The Black Male Privilege Checklist is published in the recent release of “Privilege: A Reader Second Edition,” Michael S. Kimmel (Editor), Abby L. Ferber (Editor). The Black Male Privilege Checklist can also be found on Woods’ Web site at http://www.jewelwoods.com
An alternative view of “Black male Privelege”
verbalmilk.blogspot.com
I came across an article entitled “Why Weak Men Want Submissive Women” that also discusses Black male privilege. http://survivingdating.com/?p=1032
On the same site is another article that I love called “When He Won’t Take NO! For an Answer” which analyzes the reasons men refuse to listen to women’s opinions, thoughts and desires and also ignore women’s boundaries.
http://survivingdating.com/?p=1056