The Black Man

Abstract

The Black male in today's society continues to be at risk on a variety of important sociocultural and health issues, which impact negatively on his life, and on the lives of his family, friends, and the community. Recent studies have portrayed the Black man as rapidly becoming an endangered species (Parham, 1987;Gibbs, 1984;Leavy, 1983). It is clear from popular and scientific literature that the Black male is experiencing enormous pressure in many areas. These stresses are unique to the Black man, and have implications for Black youth as well as for older Black men who struggle with concerns about survival in a White-dominated society. This article addresses the external and internal factors faced by a majority of Black men and gives recommendations to educators and service providers on how to better provide for the apparent needs of Black males, with suggestions as to how Blacks may take greater initiative for survial.

Examining African Self-Consciousness and Black Racial Identity as Predictors of Black Men's Psychological Well-Being.

“…Also, Krieger and Sidney (1996) implicated the chronic strain associated with racism in the development of such potentially fatal, stress-related diseases as high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Such phenomena are likely contributors to Black men's declining life expectancy (Pearson, 1994; Staples, 1992), as well as findings that the average life expectancy for African American men living in many U.S. urban centers is shorter than that of men living in nondeveloped countries (McCord & Freeman, 1990).…”

Exploring the Impact of Increasing the Number of Black Men in Professional Psychology

“…On a variety of health indices, African American males can most aptly be described as possessing a “third world health status” (Gadson, 2006, p. 438). The poor physical health condition of Black males, in turn, affects their psychological functioning and well-being (Pearson, 1994).…”