Examining Black Male Identity through a Raced, Classed, and Gendered Lens: Critical Race Theory and the Intersectionality of the Black Male Experience

Drawing from the lenses of critical race theory (CRT) and Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of habitus, this article compares the Jackie Robinson story with the Brown versus Board of Education narrative. This juxtaposition illustrates the similarities of these narratives and how interests converged racially. By comparing these historical narratives, we show that there are significant racial contingencies African Americans must internalize to integrate into society. In this sense, we argue that the Jackie Robinson story serves as a powerful and problematic pedagogy for Black males to be part of mainstream society—what we call “expected racial habitus.”

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They don’t really care about us: the stories of previously Incarcerated black men in Scarborough and their experiences with displaced anger through a critical race theory perspective

10.32920/ryerson.14665239.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David J. Grant

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Critical Race Theory ◽

Black Men ◽

Narrative Analysis ◽

Black Male ◽

Critical Race ◽

Urban Context ◽

School Life ◽

Race Theory ◽

Life Journey

This narrative qualitative research study investigates aspects of the life journey of Black male adults in the urban context, Scarborough, Ontario through a Critical Race Theory (CRT) Perspective. Four Black male adults who lived in Scarborough as teenagers with previous incarceration were interviewed. Using the counter-storytelling method through CRT, these Black men discussed their experiences with incarceration, school, life in Scarborough as Black males and displaced anger and mental health issues. This data was analyzed using Composite Narrative analysis. The narratives of these young men affirm that their experiences, including those associated with racism and lateral violence, from their school and family settings to the streets in Scarborough, confused their masculinity, affected mental health experiences, and contributed to suppressed anger which displaced in aggressive or violent ways. These men’s stories also confirm that being incarcerated further exacerbated this displaced anger phenomenon, especially surrounding masculinity and certain mental health concerns and did contribute to feelings of hopelessness when trying to reintegrate back into Scarborough following their release.

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They don’t really care about us: the stories of previously Incarcerated black men in Scarborough and their experiences with displaced anger through a critical race theory perspective

10.32920/ryerson.14665239 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David J. Grant

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Critical Race Theory ◽

Black Men ◽

Narrative Analysis ◽

Black Male ◽

Critical Race ◽

Urban Context ◽

School Life ◽

Race Theory ◽

Life Journey

This narrative qualitative research study investigates aspects of the life journey of Black male adults in the urban context, Scarborough, Ontario through a Critical Race Theory (CRT) Perspective. Four Black male adults who lived in Scarborough as teenagers with previous incarceration were interviewed. Using the counter-storytelling method through CRT, these Black men discussed their experiences with incarceration, school, life in Scarborough as Black males and displaced anger and mental health issues. This data was analyzed using Composite Narrative analysis. The narratives of these young men affirm that their experiences, including those associated with racism and lateral violence, from their school and family settings to the streets in Scarborough, confused their masculinity, affected mental health experiences, and contributed to suppressed anger which displaced in aggressive or violent ways. These men’s stories also confirm that being incarcerated further exacerbated this displaced anger phenomenon, especially surrounding masculinity and certain mental health concerns and did contribute to feelings of hopelessness when trying to reintegrate back into Scarborough following their release.

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Moving Beyond the Question of Education or Exploitation: The Dynamic Experiences of Black Male Student-Athletes

Journal of Intercollegiate Sport ◽

10.17161/jis.v14i2.13606 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan Howe ◽

Marc Johnston-Guerrero

Keyword(s):

Critical Race Theory ◽

Black Male ◽

Student Athletes ◽

Male Student ◽

Student Athlete ◽

Critical Race ◽

Athletic Departments ◽

Race Theory ◽

Black Male Student ◽

Experience Education

When discussing the Black male student-athlete, dominant perspectives argue that they are being educated while another perspective argues that this population is being exploited. This article moves beyond the question of whether Black male student-athletes are being educated or exploited as we argue that both can happen. Utilizing Critical Race Theory, we highlight dominant perspectives about Black male student-athletes as well as offer an analysis of their experiences. The article provides the presentation of a fictive counterstory that portrays the notion that this population can experience education and exploitation. We conclude by offering a discussion about approaches that institutions and athletic departments can take to better serve Black male student-athletes, including adopting the Excellence Beyond Athletics approach (Cooper, 2016).

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