Re-Imagining Masculinities: How Black Queer Feminism Can Liberate Black People from the Toxicity of Patriarchal Masculinity

abstract:Patriarchal masculinity was developed to subjugate Black people. This conceptual article asks Black people to re-imagine patriarchal masculinity given its oppressive history. Using Black Queer Feminism, the authors detail the development and maintenance of patriarchal masculinity, discuss the main socializing agents of patriarchal masculinity (religion, parents, peers, & media), articulate how patriarchal masculinity can harm Black people, and highlight the ways in which some Black men are already re-imagining masculinities. Re-imagining masculinities asks Black people to 1) engage in the therapeutic process; 2) confront Black male privilege; 3) embrace all masculinities; and 4) move toward a love-ethic.