Recognizing Black History Month in the Present
By Jonathon Reed
February marks the start of Black History Month. Now is a good time to look into the many different resources for integrating Black history into the classroom. (I recommend starting with the Black History in Canada collection in The Canadian Encyclopedia and then look up local organizations listed on the Canadian Heritage Black history webpage.)
That being said, racism isn’t history. Research shows that systemic racism is affecting Black youth in a variety of ways. So what’s on my mind right now is the lens of hypervulnerability, a term I came across in an article by Howard Stevenson:
“The struggle of African American identity or identities in the bodies, souls and minds of male adolescents is a complex one that involves levels of personal and social vulnerability unprecedented in American human social interaction despite advances in civilization. Hypervulnerability [is the] term created to describe this intense experience of vulnerability.”
Stevenson goes on to describe the consequences of hypervulnerability, from acceptance of abusive relationships to engagement in risk-taking behaviours, to acts of harming others as a means of self-protection. It’s a sobering examination of the roots of racialized identities and the stereotypes that limit Black boys’ choices. While his research ultimately suggests important connections between racial socialization and boys’ wellbeing (see his project Preventing Long-term Anger and Aggression in Youth), the most impactful part of the article for me was in his analysis of the societal script for Black boys:
“Unfortunately, the script is designed within white society’s projected fears of Black manhood. As such, this script is corrupt and any Black male who follows it or lives his life to reject it may be corrupted along with it. To do this script is to self-destruct in the most consistent historical fashion.”
There is something in the line ‘to self-destruct in the most consistent historical fashion’ that really struck me, and it’s something I’m carrying with me into Black History Month.
ICYMI This Week
Should Teachers Be Allowed to Touch Students? (The Atlantic)
“Let's Root for the Boys:” The Reimagining of the NFL Cheerleader (GQ)
5 Ways Teachers Can Bring Out the Best in Middle School Students (ASCD Education Update)
Written by Next Gen Men Program Manager Jonathon Reed as part of Learnings & Unlearnings, a weekly newsletter reflecting on our experiences working with boys and young men. Subscribe to get Learnings & Unlearnings delivered to your email inbox.