Footnotes For: "MaNyfaCedGod" {Jay-Z, The '4:44' Album}
The Twenty-First Century exalts the image. The fabricated aesthetic of what things are meant to look like and be like. While one may argue that society has seemingly created an opening to challenge such societal structures and perceptions that categorise humans and human nature, there is still the toxic representation of the hypermaculinity of the black male - both in the media and in the black community.
Hypermasculinity in black men dates all the way back to slavery. Black males were hypermasculinized by slave owners to be seen as brick walls, good for hard labor and heavy lifting. Slave auctioneers didnt want the male slaves they were selling to appear soft by any means because that would mean buyers wouldn’t have a hard worker on their hands and it would be more difficult to sell a weak looking male slave or they would have to lower prices to come to a deal for him to be a house slave or something of lesser or equal value. (Source)
Evidently, the notion of the black male is rooted in the ancestral standards of primitive African clans and traditions. Throughout the ages it is deemed that the male is the 'provider, hunter' and head of the house. In primitive African traditions young boys were groomed to assume the position of authority from around the age of 12. These traditions have been passed on throughout generations and it is still seen today by the expectations and the time stamps placed on the black man - whether that be having a family, material wealth and success or physicality.
After the eradication of legal slavery, one may suggest that this mentality is still ingrained in the black man. Fathers are seen as nothing but providers and regulators. There are hardly any accounts of fathers displaying emotion which may come from the ingrained notion that a male is deemed weak if they cry or display emotion. In light of this comes the stereotypes attached to the black male; the immediate suspicion when one walks into a store, or the need to clutch your purse tighter when a black male is walking behind you or near you; the stone cold facial expression and the broad physique seemingly perpetuate nothing but danger and criminal-like tendencies.
"Masculinity... is undefinable! I think our notions of masculinity come from what we are told it should be... even when you say the word I just think of 'testosterone.' Maybe we need to step out of the idea of masculinity and separate masculinity from testosterone - separate the biological side from the social side because masculinity has become this sort of social construct." (Source)
Barry Jenkin's Oscar winning masterpiece 'Moonlight' prolifically demonstrates the journey of masculinity in the black community. The three chapters evidently explore the stages of masculinity and the need for the black man to prove his masculinity to himself and those around him. 'Moonlight' tackles the need to define sexuality in the black community and the stigma of homosexuality in the black community. The perpetuity of 'what it means to be a man' in relation to sexuality can also be considered a large factor in the toxicity of hypermasculinity in the black community. The vulnerability and sensitivity supposedly attached to homosexuality are seen as weaknesses in the black community to the extent that we either ostracise such men or force them to repress their sexuality as a result of the need to fit in.
"To a certain extent it's like an energy that's undefinable - it just is what it is! You can't define it - but you can feel it, you can feel the difference between masculinity and femininity - but it's not something that you can define. And if you say you can define it per se then are you really defining it or repeating what society has told you? Because if you sit there and strip away everything in your past and everything you've been told, would really be able to define masculinity?" (Source)
Another prime example of the issues of sexuality defining masculinity in the black community was presented in HBO's 'Insecure', Season One, Episode Six: A Real One. 'Insecure' is an incredible piece of work that illustrates the normalcy of black women and men in television, since the rest of the media makes us seem like a completely different species beyond comprehension.
In the case of masculinity, in a particular scene a female character and male character attempt to build some form of romantic relationship. They begin discussing their wild college days to which the female admits she had sexual relations with a woman and did cocaine. In the same way, the male highlights that he'd also experimented with a male only once. Now, the mood changes, the chemistry cools down and by the end of the episode, the female character claims 'he's too gay' immediately highlighting her own hypocrisy (source). So, in this sense, the perception of the black male by the black female deems this man not masculine enough because of the idea that he has not defined his sexuality. This is evidently a reoccurring double standard in the black community - how women are deemed sexy whilst two men are simply boxed as 'gay'.
Thus, the issue of not being 'man enough' is still poignant. Well, what is a man? Does that mean having courage - courage to do what? Does that mean being a leader - a leader for who? Does it mean being physically strong - what good is physicality when mentally you are weak?
"Masculinity is the ability to be confident in oneself, to be chivalrous and most of all, striving to be successful - someone like that reeks of masculinity." (Source)
Undoubtedly, the black male feels the need to exert masculinity through his physical strength because that is all he's ever known. He was sold based on his physical strength, he was dehumanised and deemed a valuable commodity based on his physical strength, thus, the only way to exert his manhood is to exert his physicality.
One may then suggest that a reason for the high gang and crime rate in America is because of the masculine connotations surrounding the concept. The need to be feared and exercise authority is what is damaging the black male and stunting his growth financially, socially and mentally and increasing his perception as nothing but a criminal.
"...And I said to TyTy, I'm really emotional, I'll cry it out right in front of a guy... I'll burst into tears... I mean I'll still punch you in the mouth, like when push comes to shove, but I'm really emotional... but TyTy just calmed me and said 'why did you have to say you'll still punch a guy in the mouth?' why are we taught that we have to quantify out tears with a show of strength?"
Netflix Original film 'Burning Sands' gives a raw commentary and depiction of the dangers of hexing in the collegiate environment - especially fraternities. The debut feature from Gerard McMurray explores the humiliating process of initiating young men into fraternities by putting them through extreme torture that is both devastating and can result in death as in the case of this film. The violence and extremism rest on the idea that a man is made based on the amount of pain and physical trauma he can endure which immediately ties back into the notion of the hard working slave who is only deemed valuable based on his physicality and hard work.
"It might ultimately be difficult to truly empathize with the decision to undergo such torture, but it’s merely an extreme example of wanting to fit in and, at such a young age, not understanding the importance of self-worth over blind conformity. As this tragic realization hits, you can see Zurich finally cross over into adulthood, tears filling his eyes. It’s a haunting image that burns deeper than any of the violence." (Source)
Jay-Z's masterpiece, the '4:44' album not only tackles the financial and societal issues in the black community, he also creates a commentary on the vulnerability of the black man and the need for him to feel, acknowledge and express that vulnerability.
"As a black man... and you just start therapy and a lot of the times in the black community they're like 'therapy, what?!'... it's like 'you gon pay money to go talk to somebody.. you better go to church" - Michael B. Jordan
The need to allow him to be in tune with his emotions; the need to shed the slave mentality and realise that his mental instability effects his external reality is eloquently delivered. Our obsession with categorising the human - whether male or female - into boxes that make us feel comfortable is the reason why we have regressed. The need to create an image of what a being should look like is the reason the black community is so far apart form one another. We fail to realise that we pressurise our men into being these figures that they are stuck in the cyclical nature of the slave mentality, constantly needing to prove their masculinity through their physique, their wealth and materialism.
“It’s easier to build strong children than repair broken men.”
- Frederick Douglass
