African American Boy Self Image Analysis

I'm pretty sure the message to this short story was about taking chances, not being ashamed about who you are or what you wear, I think this will help a lot of kids because it will show them that style isn't always everything…and it will show people that it's not the way you look but it's the way you make yourself look in

Over the past decade disciplinary issues in the schools have increased. Children are no longer showing respect to those in authority. This problem has caused students to not only decrease in their academic achievement but also decrease in their real world social development. African Americans are amongst one ethnicity group to experience bias. In the context of school discipline, race and gender stereotypes particularly function to criminalize African American youth and to reinforce cultural beliefs about perceived inherent behavioral deficiencies and African American cultural norms in need of “social correction” (George, 2014). African Americans are placed in the stereotypical norm of having discipline problems in the schools. Especially African American girls. In a 2014 national data report, African American girls accounted for 12% of all suspensions (George, 2014). With that being said, African American girls are suspended at least “six times the rate of white girls and more than any other group of girls and several groups of boys.” (George, 2014) This is a huge problem in our schools that needs to be addressed.

Throughout the matriculation of a black boy 's’ life, there are many, (labeled natural, yet are culturally, socially and institutionally based) factors, that govern the holistic views and beliefs entailed to the child. From that moment on, challenging the social structures that these norms entail suggest a sense of sensitivity, homosexuality or weakness, ultimately emasculating the highly regarded social stigmas attached with being a man. Despite being indoctrinated into the minds of black boys from an early age, there are many long lasting effects of masculinity that are in turn reciprocated in the role of black fathers, husbands, brothers and friends. Black masculinity is the self-deteriorating idealisms that attack the identity and social positions black men ascribe to.

Stereotypes seem to be very present in our country, especially stereotypes towards African-Americans. For the longest time, like it has been instilled as a fact in my brain, black people have been directly related to the words “ghetto” or “hood”. I don’t remember a time where I actually can remember the words “ghetto” or “hood” without the picture in my mind of an African-American person. I think that this is a big problem in today’s society because it is not true but still seems to be taught. In politics, society, and everyday life, it feels like African-American’s are being slammed for being hoodlums. This is a problem because there are millions of African-American people who do not fit this stereotype, but still get degraded and treated badly because of this age old belief.

hair and is extremely damaging to the hair and from personal experience can lead to permanent scarring and scalp irritation to name a few. Since Black women are apart of the “mass” that McCombs and Shaw reference in their theory, they are also consuming these images and have no other way to think about themselves. This puts more pressure on Black women to want to assimilate to Eurocentric standards of beauty which has a direct effect on their self-esteem as discussed in the very popular documentary ‘For Dark Girls’ where Black women discussed their struggles with trying to achieve this Eurocentric standard of beauty.

Black males within American society struggle to be successful because of challenges arising from racism and oppression, lack of effective educational leadership, and adverse racial stereotypes. Toby S. Jenkins’, “Mr. Nigger: The Challenges of Educating Black Males Within American Society”, Bell Hooks’, “We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity”, and Tyrone C. Howard’s “Who Really Cares? The Disenfranchisement of African American Males in PreK-12 Schools: A Critical Race Theory Perspective” provide insight to understanding the challenges Black males face within American society and especially the educational system.

How are African American men portrayed? They have many stereotypes under their race and specifically the men of African Americans. There are numerous reasons why African Americans have dominant racial stereotypes. However, it does not make it right that African American men should be the scapegoat for every problem. Being a scapegoat is taking the sins of others. How can African Americans get equal rights and respect if all they get is racism, disrespect, and get blamed? They do not get equal rights in education, job force, etc. Some African Americans may be in a lower class than Caucasians but often time African Americans make it to the high-class hierarchy but they are still not appreciated or respected as much. This other stereotype that African American men may be boxed into is black masculinity. Conversely, if an African American man acts different from usual African Americans, their own people and Caucasians judge them for being different. African American men are getting blamed way too often for many things and even crimes they did not commit. The society needs to stop view African American men as the scapegoat because it is absolutely not fair to them. Even if those men are purely innocent, people think they are not masculine. African American men should not be blamed or deal with punishment that they did not commit.

As the times progress, social expectations began to change with them. One thing that people have began to adopt is the “ carefree lifestyle “. The lifestyle where you are more open to being yourself socially amongst other people. Numerous lives has benefited towards this new change and became better for it. Although this change has grew and touched many lives, there are still many people who wishes to make this transition but simply don’t what steps to take for it to come to fruition. Specifically black boys who have had the burden of numerous stereotypes placed on their shoulders. Luckily for them, I know six easy steps to have them living the carefree black boy in a matter of weeks.

They squirmed, pencils tapping their desks anxiously; none of their papers contained more than five names. Eventually, all thirteen pairs of eyes made their way from the papers, to the faces of their friends, and eventually, they restlessly shifted over to me and stopped. “This is hard,” whined one seventh grade voice. Another chimed in, “It’s all the same, I can’t think of any more.” The question I had asked was simple: “Please list as many young African American males that you see on TV as possible.”

Growing up being an African American male I would often hear that I had “2 strikes against me and with one more strike I would be out.” Now this is something I’ve been told since I was a toddler by my mother, father, grandmother, and on occasion even my teachers. They were implying that being black in America is a strike, and being a male was another strike, and all I needed was one more strike before I ended up behind bars or even dead. So based of what I’ve been told it seems to me that I came into this world with a huge disadvantage. This was disappointing information that was fed to me while I was growing up, but for me this drives me to become the best that I can to be so I don’t become the average statistic. Adrienne Rich writes an essay where she talks about the importance for someone like me to claim my education, Now, I’m sixteen so this would be a good time in my life to start and claim my education.

All American Boys reveals racism and stereotyping are not specific to black verses white, people of color can also be conditioned to have prejudices against their own. Rashad’s father is quick to doubt his son’s innocence, “if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck” he continues “What they see is what he presented himself as just another—” thug (Reynolds and Kiely 49). We come to find that Rashad’s father, David knows from experience how easy it is to assume someone’s guilt, to stereotype someone based on the color of skin. All American Boy describes a situation in which Officer Butler and his partner respond to a call, on scene, two boys, one white, wearing a sweater and jeans and one black, wearing a hoodie and sagging low, they were

I read through online news as I drank my coffee in morning, as is my ritual. Having just read an article on the horrifying mass graves of IS fighters rotting in shallow graves in the deserts of Iraq I peered at the comments section to see how this would be tied to former president Barack Obama, and how great Trump is. Without surprise I found many claiming the ills of this conflict hoisted on our former “muslim” President. One stuck out at me- while the rhetoric in the body of the comment didn’t diverge from the standard trolling, and hate, the name stuck with me, ASHAMEDTOBEBLACK, with the picture of Barak Obama as the icon. It is painfully clear in media, public forums, as well as in this show that a long and arduous debate about identity in America is a festering wound that has never healed, and may never find any closure. I think this debate is tied directly to the inability for America to write and understand a comprehensive history of itself, or to even to acknowledge that the American narrative is complex and nuanced.

Despite the emancipation of slavery at the end of the Civil War, white Americans still viewed and treated Africans as inhuman. This is best shown through African American caricatures, Minstrel shows, and the cultural phenomenon of Blackface. Mid nineteen hundreds cartoon images depicted Africans Americans much differently than they actually appeared in real life. Taken for granted these incorrect and misrepresentative images worked their way into the mainstream of American life. Of all ethnic caricatures in America, the ones showing African Americans have been the most enduring. These images helped shape the most gut level feeling about black members of society. Because these images were so prevalent in society, Africans began to live under

become an international billion-dollar business (Dixon & Telles, 2017). Thus, countless African Americans remain conquered in spirit and mind; forever divided by different views and low group-esteem.

Kapidzic, S., & Herring, S. C. (2015). Race, gender, and self-presentation in teen profile photographs. New Media & Society, 17(6), 958-976. doi:10.1177/1461444813520301