Looking At The World Through Saddening Eyes.
His wings are white; what would you think if I painted them black? Does the white robe enhance your perception of him? Think about it. Would you see the devil inside, the image portrayed to you as a child? Would you see the sadness in his eyes from the image you project of him?
One but tries, but the philosophy of the self as a separate entity that can forge an identity divorced from others is undoubtedly a false narrative — (The Double Consciousness). W.E.B. Du Bois, 2021, The Souls of Black Folks, Sanage Publishing House; 1st edition.
Change one can instigate, but having to return to toxic environments will, without a doubt, erode the minds of even the bravest souls. Yes, we can alter our responses to these experiences, but it is hard and can bear down even the most determined minds.
A controversial statement, I may here convey. The black man is becoming the pariah, the scapegoat for all that is wrong with the masculine world.
Yes, some black men appropriate toxic behaviours, but this should not be used to stigmatise all black men. I am in no way trying to diminish the hurt inflicted on black women by some black men.
Yes, there is overt toxic masculinity, but that is not solely the preserve of the Blackman. I see it represented in the highest echelons of white patriarchy; this does not excuse the destructive behaviours of some.
Some say that you need to do ‘the work’ and you shall overcome. Having to continuously navigate toxic environments, how can you do the work? Unsurprisingly, mental health disproportionately affects black men in the United Kingdom. Is it surprising with the discordance projected on some?
A black man cannot be sensitive; something must surely be wrong with him. And, if he is sensitive, he is a traitor to the masculine trope. He must be of a degenerate and delusional mind because it appears he has not read the script society has written for him.
To some, an educated black man is a misnomer; blacks and whites appropriate this representation.
