KINGSTON, Jamaica ― Black men need safe spaces to be able to express themselves, enrich themselves, be themselves.
On campuses large and small, historically Black or predominantly White, in the academy and in the broader society as a whole, it is critical that these spaces exist for this most marginalized group of both the academy and society at large.
That was the message reinforced Friday by Dr. Bridget McCurtis, assistant vice provost of diversity initiatives at New York University, in the closing keynote of the International Colloquium of Black Males.
McCurtis asked the audience of students, administrators and faculty members to discuss their limitations and frustrations on their respective campus environments. Many of the responses seemed to reflect shared sentiments that transcended specific locales.
“I can’t leave my fam behind,” said one Ohio State University student who said he is struggling with the idea of leaving his friends in his home neighborhood and the perception by those friends that he is no longer one of them. The student’s sentiments mirrored what was described by many throughout the week as an identity crisis, a struggle to find a place of belonging that many — both in the U.S., Jamaica and across the world — are facing as they go on to pursue their educations.
“I can’t subscribe to this notion of masculinity that many of our young boys subscribe to,” said a professor from the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, which served as a partner institution to the colloquium. “But I can be a role model for those” who need one, he added.
How does one reconcile a desire to move forward and advance his own life without projecting the perception that he is leaving behind those he cares about or becoming “brand new?”
