“The idea that I’m some sort of stooge for the Manosphere is laughable to anyone who actually knows my history within it; Champ of VSB didn’t give me “The Blackest Man of the Manosphere” moniker for nothing. I very much live up to my reputation of being an equal opportunity offender, often being the lone Black voice directly challenging the generally meanspirited commentary and at times downright bigoted/racist invective that sadly, is still very much a part of said ‘sphere. Over the past few years I’ve been openly challenging those who hold such views though, I’ve begun to notice a change – more and more guys just walk away from such heated and useless, hateful rhetoric; I don’t want big myself up here, but I honestly do think my efforts weren’t lost on the aforementioned Men, and gave them the inspiration to step off, or to fight to make the Manosphere a better place. There’s still a lot to do, and I fully intend to do my part, but the point is, that little by little, is becoming to be not such a good look to be a crank in the Manosphere anymore. Trust, I’ve seen a number of the more shrill blogs fold, and of those remain hardened holdouts, they are on the margains of the sphere; in no way are they near the core. Just like Bill F. Price over at the Spearhead, whom I know for a fact is NOT a racist and came to my defence when an article advising Men on how to look nice when taking their ladies out elicited more than 700 irate comments calling for my head on a pike because I, as a Black Man, dared to tell those White Men about their sloppy selves, I know for a fact that all three of the Men that form JFG here would do the same for me, here. So this notion that any of them are Neo-Nightriders really is silly, and really needs to stop.”
-Obsidian, “Just Four Opinions: Trayvon Edition
The above quote by yours truly properly frames today’s post, especially since I’ve gotten this question put to me a number of times in the past; now seems as good a time as any to speak on it.
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That the Manosphere as it has been defined is an overwhelmingly White space is nothing new, and in many ways mirrors its “sister”, the Femisphere; and for reasons rational and borderline nefarious on both sides, neither have shown themselves, taken on a whole, to be particularly welcoming to Black folks, Men or Women. And as I’ve noted above, the Manosphere in particular has been known to harbor, and in quite a few instances foster, outright racial hostility to Blacks in general.
I’ve written elsewhere why I think that is and so there’s no need to belabor that point; in this post I want to more directly address why I think the MRA does indeed address Black Men in contemporary American life.
To do that though, we have to ask – just *what*, is the Men’s Rights Agenda? To answer this question, we turn to a piece appearing at the Good Men Project on March 8, 2011, entitled “Top 10 Men’s Rights Issues”. Based on a poll of admittedly and most likely White Men over at the Men’s Rights Reddit, the poll nevertheless highlighted some interesting results. They are, in order of importance:
1.) Fathers’ Rights (20%)
2.) Feminism (11%)
3.) Anti-Male Double Standards (10%)
4.) Removing the Notion That All Men Are Potential Rapists/Pedophiles (9%)
5.) Reproductive Rights (7%)
6.) Better Treatment of Men Regarding False Accusations (7%)
7.) Making Government Programs Gender-Neutral or Accompanied by a Male Equivalent (6.2%)
8.) Educating Boys (5%)
9.) Negative Portrayal in the Media (5%)
10.) The Male Gender Role (4%)
Right off the bat I can see easily, half the “top ten” list applying to Black Men.
Shall we count the ways?
Better Treatment of Men Regarding False Accusations: This is a problem that has long plagued Black Men, responsible for quite a few of them meeting horrible deaths at the hands of lynch mobs. Today in our time, it is not at all improbable for a Black Man to spend years of his life behind bars for a false rape accusation; the name of Brian Banks easily comes to mind…
Removing the Notion That All Men Are Potential Rapists/Pedophiles: Connected to the above point, and several others on the list; Black Men have long been singled out not just in term’s potential rapists and the like, but for being the worst sort of criminals in general, facts be damned. More on this below.
Negative Portrayal in the Media: Also known as Racial Profiling when it comes to Black males. Given the events of the past few weeks, does anyone really disagree?
Reproductive Rights: Although Black Men themselves don’t often frame it this way, a big part around the fight over child support stems from this and impacts Black Men even harder than White Men due in large part to the long history of economic inequality Black Men have had to face. Roe For Men, along with other measures aimed at reforming the family court system, would go a long way toward making things a lot better.
Fathers’ Rights: That brings us here, and is a very salient point to consider, as Edin and Nelson make clear in their work “Doing The Best I Can”. Contrary to the stereotypical Black Deadbeat Dad, the truth is that there are millions of Black Men who want to be dads or more involved ones, and are often prevented from doing so due to tensions with the mother, who often uses the State to carry out her grudges.
The Male Gender Role: Yet another huge area of concern on the part of Black Men, more than we may have known or realized, proofed by an excellent post/discussion, started by Damon “The Champ” Young, of Very Smart Brothas. It repays close study.
All of these areas, as laidout by White MRAs themselves, have immense value and import to Black Men, and accounts for why I in particular, am engaged in it.
But that leaves the question: how to get more Black Men involved, especially light of the very real racism present in the Manosphere?
That, I hope to answer in a future post. Stay tuned.
