One but tries. Still, the philosophy of the self as a separate entity can forge an identity divorced from others is undoubtedly a false narrative- (*The Double Consciousness).
Change one can instigate, but having to return to toxic environments will, without doubt, erode the minds of even the bravest soul. One has to bear it and try one’s best to cope. Yes, we can alter our responses to these experiences, but it is hard and can bear down even the most determined minds. There are other worlds that others have to navigate.
A controversial statement, I may here convey. The black man is becoming the pariah, the scapegoat for all that is wrong in this world with toxic masculinity. White patriarchal society informs his sisters that he is holding them back; he is of a degenerate and criminal mind. As a result, some actively partake in acts of grandstanding.
I have personal experiences and have witnessed some blacks being used to denigrate Blackmen. They are more critical of and judge him by standards they would not apply to others.
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. Would it not be better to say some? You cannot do the work; mental health disproportionately affects black men. Is it surprising with the discordance projected on some?
What is the point of doing the work when society continuously battens down on you, and even when you do it, it creates cognitive discordance? A black man cannot be sensitive; there must surely be something wrong with him; he must be of a degenerate mind or possess learning difficulties because it appears that he has not read the script society has written for him.
To some, an educated black man is a misnomer; black and whites can apply this representation.
A black man cannot be passive or an introvert. He cannot display mental frailty because you will label him as mad or sad.* There is only one frame of reference applied to him. Man-child, you sure are confused, navigating these schizophrenic narratives of what it means to be you. Let me hug you, show you some empathy, and we can…
