INSECURITY. Not a word that you would typically associate with black men, but after a deep discussion with some of my fellow brothers here at the University, young and old, the word insecurity best illustrated why so many of us black men portray ourselves the way we do: as men without fear. A fear of how others see us and a fear of how we perceive ourselves developed in a conversation among a few dozen black men -- a conversation that would have proved to be caustic if there were one white male face among us. Despite the front that so many of us put up on a daily basis, as soon as we were all together in one room, many of these fears subsided. However, insecurity about our place here at the University still remained the backbone of much of the dialogue.
As part of Black History Month,Office of African-American Affairs Dean M. Rick Turner hosted a discussion on present challenges that face African-American men at the University -- and from the rousing discussion that stretched from issues of relationships to activism, I recognized one true thing: That if black men at this University ever expect to get the most out of our educations, we need to cough up any insecurities we may have about our place at this institution, do away with them and make this institution our own in the classroom and the boardroom, just the way we do on the athletic field.
Free from the external optic that spies on us at almost all times, and with an internal lens focused inward on ourselves, the truth about some of our insecurities began to come to pass. I heard athletes speak freely for the very first time about expectations put on them by the University and by their families and home communities -- expectations that are often unrealistic given the fact that student athletes are asked to balance a semi-professional physical schedule and master the tasks of their education all at once. The University asks much of these students, and for their effort and revenue-generating abilities, not nearly enough is given in the way of their preparation for the real world of the workforce that includes working with other students who are not their peers from the athletic field.
Student activists questioned notions of outreach and mentorship within the African-American community of students themselves, and how many times it feels as though black men are left out of the ever-expanding loop at this University, which caters to over 500 student organizations and clubs on a daily basis. Coming into the fray and being treated as outsiders, often even within their own communities, has proven to be self-defeating for many black male students who understand that their educations are fostered inside as well as outside the classroom.
For one of the very first times at this university, I experienced an open honesty among a group of African-American men -- discussing openly their concerns about inaccurate media portrayals, the sad reality that many of us seek to live out too many of society's stereotypes and our very own mis-education, as well as how we can collectively stop these cycles and trends once we enter the real world. At the end of our discourse, solutions to many of the problems black men face were posed, but one that addresses our individual insecurities was certainly left out.
As black men, we cannot expect that at this University, nor in this world, that those who perceive us as one-sided stereotypical figures will ever understand or even empathize with issues we face on a daily basis. I recognized that though many of us might not feel ready to talk openly and honestly outside of the room we were in, at least some of us have to, as long as we expect to see change and ultimately, progress. One of the next steps, as I understand it, is to bring a critical discussion such as this one to the forefront, not just for those individuals who attended the forum, but for the black women and University community who for so long have inferred that we never speak up about these things.
I recognized once again that this column isn't simply a soapbox to stand on, but an amplifier that can broadcast a serious message that I feel the University community continues to overlook: Black male students at this University aren't simply good for chasing after a football or running in a Student Council election for personal gain. But the first step, I can see, is for those of us who do have the floor to speak up about these things -- because if we don't, the real value of our educations will be missed by us all.
(Kazz Alexander Pinkard's column usually appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at kpinkard@cavalierdaily.com.)
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