“I’m a Black Man and I’m Doing this Job Very Well”: How African American Professional Men Negotiate the Impact of Racism on Their Career Development

Education Level, Occupational Classification, and Perceptions of Differences for Blacks in the United States

“…More specifically, Cornileus () studied 14 professional Black men and their career development in corporate America. Four repressive structures limited Black male career development: (a) Negative stereotypes of Black men (the most repressive aspect) served as the basis for discrimination; (b) company policies and practices lacked objectivity, transparency, and accountability, which created subjective and disparate career development practices; (c) sociopolitical capital was unevenly distributed by race; and (d) workplace diversity was not consistently valued nor organized in a manner that promoted long‐term change.…”

The (End)angered Black Male Swimming Against the Current

“…In considering these narratives and their impact, it is important to understand them as expressions of both racism and White male patriarchy. The concept of "Blackmen" (Cornileus, 2013;Mutua, 2006) is useful as a way to conceptualize how the particular identity position of Black men intersects with race and gender to condition the lives of Black men. In other words, Black male lives are shaped within interlocking systems of race and gender (Andersen & Collins, 2007).…”

“…It is grounded in a social system that structurally constrains the achievement of Black men. Cornileus (2010Cornileus ( , 2013 argues that viewing Black men through the prism of race alone is insufficient to explain the challenges faced by Black males. She adopts the concept of "Blackmen" to argue that it is the combination of race and gender that places Black men in such jeopardy.…”

“…First, adult educators who seek to make a difference in the lives of Black men must acknowledge the nature of gendered racism that recognizes the unique positionality of Black men within the social system. The debates over appropriate adult education policy are most effective when they are grounded in the historical and structural dimensions of "gendered racism" that shape the lives of Black males (Cornileus, 2013). A derivative insight of the foregoing suggests that Black men' s lives are not an additive calculation of marginalization by Blackness and privilege by maleness (Andersen & Collins, 2007;Howard et al, 2012).…”

Introduction to the Special Issue

“…D ating as far back in American history as the Slave Patrols and Night Watchers of 1704 (Kappeler, 2014; Nelson, 2000), violence by authorities against Black men and women has been pervasive. This history has led to a systemic culture of oppression and marginalization of Black individuals that permeates social structures, including law enforcement (Cornileus, 2012). Arguably, Black families and traditional Black churches have been a resilient source of support and coping.…”