There is a problematic Zulu adage that says ‘indoda ayikhali’, which means “a man doesn’t cry”. I’ve witnessed men, and women, say this to little boys whenever they shed even the slightest tear. This illustrates the type of masculinity that Black men are encouraged to not only espouse but also perform. Socially and culturally constructed notions of manhood dehumanise men by limiting their ways of being. Men have been taught that to be ‘a man’ is to be angry, callous, and lacking in ‘softer’ emotions such as empathy and melancholy.
Source: Rigid concepts of masculinity are pushing Black men to suicide – New African Magazine
- Centering Women and Girls’ Health in HIV Research | NIAID: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - March 12, 2024
- Innovator to Entrepreneur Program (ITEP) Webinar December 6, 2023 - November 28, 2023
- Two Women Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. No One Has Ever Been Charged. — ProPublica - November 11, 2023