Black Men: From Sexual Deviants to Toxic

I am very happy for the success of Black people in any mainstream arena since the gates only seem to let a few of us in at a time. This is why we need to create our own institutions but that’s for another article. Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors are two very talented brothers at the top of their game and are enjoying the fruits of mastering their craft.

I took note of an article on CNN where the author stated that there was “backlash” as a result of the men hugging when Major’s received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. The article provides many links but did not provide one displaying the outrage he mentions.

The fact is people in America adopt toxicity in many ways, both male and female. However, Black men are now being made the face of toxic masculinity just as we were made the face of sexual predators. From Michael Jackson to Tupac, to Mike Tyson, R Kelly down to Bill Cosby their stories were in media everywhere while many white athletes and entertainers were allowed to fly under the radar with the exception of Harvey Weinstein.

It should also be noted that the first feature film made, Birth of a Nation depicted Black men as sexual predators.

So how does this relate to Creed III? You have two Black men reinforcing stereotypes (physicality over brains) beating the hell out of each other when there is no balance with major Hollywood productions showing another side. Even the last Black Panther and the Woman King showed Black women as protectors. In short, we can whip each other’s asses but we can’t defend our families, communities or nations. Film is a very powerful medium and slips messages in on many levels which will create opinions, norms and behaviors!

The article goes on to say “This backlash has a broader context. Majors, who displayed his muscular physique on the recent cover of Ebony while holding bouquets of roses, was also trolled for being unmanly.”

Black men who are now rejecting and calling attention to the feminization of Black men are labelled homophobic. Never mind there is a looong history of physically and mentally castrating Black men back to slavery in America and even long before. Arabs castrated Black men so they could work in harems and would not produce testosterone which would dramatically increase chances of violent resistance.

Now Black men are castrated through films and photos because we are meant to accept over incarnation, unjust incarceration, murder at the hands of police and white citizens as well as being undereducated and underemployed.

While Majors had a role in the movie as a boxer which is stereotypical because it emphasizes the physicality of Black men which at bottom is considered a threat in the white psyche, the photo shoot for Ebony where Major’s appeared in boxing attire was neutralized. He was made to appear like the roses in one of the main photos, wilted.

Since everything in America trickles down with the exception of money if you believe Black men are toxic then remove the toxicity from America which comes primarily from white men.

Malcolm H