Gender and Masculinity: Black Masculinity

Academic inquiries into masculinity as a field of study have grown since the 1980s. Discussions of black masculinity are often premised on the notion that both gender and race are social constructs, rather than biological determinants. Therefore, the characteristics associated with both of these constructs are part of a system of cultural representation, [Page 132]with media operating as one of the social institutions that creates, reflects, shapes, and upholds dominant views on race and gender. These cultural representations are far from static over time and vary among different groups of men. Correspondingly, many scholars prefer the term masculinities to denote that there is great variance in conceptualizing manhood, taking into account different time periods, races, classes, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. Critical race theorists and scholars of masculinities studies have positioned different masculinities and femininities in a hierarchical structure that places masculinity in a greater position of power than femininity. Within this structure, particular types of masculinity are more valued than others.

The term hegemonic masculinity refers to the most culturally dominant or valued expression of masculinity. The ideals of hegemonic masculinity are theorized to center on notions of power, dominance, strength, aggressiveness, authority, and heterosexism, and it is these types of traits to which men are thought to be encouraged to conform. Ultimately, like idealized notions of femininity, this hegemonic masculinity, many scholars argue, is something that most men will never fully achieve and has the potential to do serious harm to men and women both individually and in their gender relations.

Many of the current mediated portrayals of black masculinity are plagued by a tendency to demonize black men, constructing them as “others” who are to be feared. Some scholars note that early Hollywood portrayals of black men often portrayed them as seemingly docile, feminized, or Uncle Tom versions of black manhood. Frank Rudy Cooper (2009) articulates this dichotomy as “bipolar black masculinity,” whereby black men are represented in media as one of two extremes: the “good black man” or the “bad black man.” However, while the Uncle Tom trope is still commonly employed, many scholars argue that what has often come to dominate is a hypersexualized and violent concept of black manhood. While these original stereotypes were typically employed by a white, racist culture, it is important to note that they have been prominently taken on in media produced by members of the black community as well. Ultimately, however, these cultural representations, independent of the race of the creator, are rooted in an imbalance of power based on signifiers such as race, class, and gender. As many critics discuss, these images, whether intentionally or subconsciously, can reflect attempts at social control.

Historians and theorists point to developments in the late 19th century as fostering growth in the image of black masculinity as violent and sexually predatory. The end of slavery ushered in a period of fear, fostered by white supremacist movements that resulted in depictions of black males as a dangerous threat to the social order and the economic livelihood of white men of the working class. The 1915 silent film The Birth of a Nation is often cited as one of the first prominent mass-media portrayals of this violent black masculinity. The widespread mainstream success of the film and its influence on public sentiment make The Birth of a Nation an important object of study in chronicling the history of media and black masculinity. While often recognized for its groundbreaking use of film technology, The Birth of a Nation is heavily criticized for its depiction of black men as aggressive sexual beasts in pursuit of white women. Historically, the release of the film correlates with an upsurge in public violence, including riots in major U.S. cities, gangs of whites attacking blacks, and at least one murder (of a black teenager by a white man). The film is likewise thought to have contributed to the resurgence in the 1920s of the Ku Klux Klan, whose members used The Birth of a Nation as a recruitment tool as late as the 1970s.

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