The (De)Construction of Black Masculine Identity with Marlon Ross

Black History Year

Today's History Story: Black Men Aren't Allowed to Have Emotions, Right?

Gender has shaped and continues to shape much of our lives. It tells boys to wear blue and girls to wear pink, dictates what careers are “appropriate” as adults, and even has a say in how we’re expected to express our feelings.

Quiet as it's kept, a big reason gender norms exist is to maintain white supremacist notions of what it means to be a man. But in the tradition of Black resistance, our people have pushed back against these arbitrary rules. And today, we’re talking about that and much more with an incredible scholar working at the intersection of literature, race, gender and sexuality, Marlon B. Ross.

As the author of “Sissy Insurgencies,” “Manning the Race,” and other critical writings, Marlon has dedicated his work to uncovering the evolving narratives of Black masculinity. This cat is redefining how we understand and discuss these issues. And he’s here to share insights that will have you rethinking everything you know about manhood.

To learn more about Marlon's work, find "Sissy Insurgencies" wherever you get your books.

Black History Year (BHY) is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school and explore pathways to liberation with people who are leading the way. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work.

Hosting BHY is Darren Wallace. The BHY production team includes Jareyah Bradley, Brooke Brown, and Amber Davis. Our producers are Cydney Smith and Len Webb for PushBlack, and Lance John with Gifted Sounds edits and engineers the show. BHY’s executive producers are Julian Walker and Lilly Workneh.

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