Black Masculinity In African American Culture

In the predominantly patriarchal history of the world masculinity and what it means to be a man have differed from culture to culture. When it comes to African American history and culture particularly what it has meant to be a man has no clear set of universal rules or guidelines. There are a few different sources such as hip hop and and television many young black men across America draw their sense of masculinity from. On the other hand there are role models in black communities that many young black men also draw their sense of masculinity from. With so many different sources to draw a sense of what it means to be a black man in today’s society from what is the true definition of black masculinity.
In black media today the hip hop culture is often referred to when defining what it means to be a black person in society. In particular the hip hop culture is where many young black men pull both positive and negative aspect of black masculinity. Many mainstream hip hop songs often create a common misogyny by objectifying and stereotyping women. An example of this can be heard in the song Nasty Girl by The Notorious B.I.G. where he states, “Conversate.

The definition of black masculinity throughout history has undergone several changes and revisions as times have changed. Today’s hip-hop orientated ideal of black masculinity is (from a personal standpoint) not a very good representation of what it means to be a black man. People such as Malcolm X and Dr. King really were true examples of black masculinity. The true definition of black masculinity should be a man who not only respects himself but also his family and the people of his community. A black man should be able to recognize and learn from their mistakes. A black man should be willing to help out a struggling brother or sister instead of flaunting individual possessions. Lastly a black man should be able to take responsibility for themselves and their families but most importantly their