An excellent piece by filmmaker and anti-sexist activist Byron Hurt:
NewBlackMan: Byron Hurt: Are You Man Enough to Challenge Too Short?.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
99 Problems
Hats off to Dr. Boyce Watkins for his commentary on Jay-Z banning b$tch from his linguistic repertoire. The decision came after the birth of Jay and Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy. The rapper has received well-deserved criticism regarding his decision and he should. However, virtually nothing was said a few years ago when Hov rapped “when the Jena 6 don’t exist…thats when I’ll stop sayin’ bitch…BITCH!!!” (from “Say Hello” on American Gangsta). Hov takes an aggressively masculine tone, separating gender from racial oppression. His view of race is decidedly masculine with little, if any, investment in black women. I don’t like that it took one of my favorite rappers this long to get his act together. Nor do I like that it took his daughter being born for him to make the decision. At the end of the day, though, I’m glad that Blue Ivy inspired Jay to change. For any parents reading this, I’m sure that the birth of your little one(s) made you think twice about your values too, right?
What concerns me more than Jay’s actions are the millions of fans that buy (or download) his music while blindly accepting the warped gender dynamics reinforced in his songs. These are the people who, on a daily basis, are presented with opportunities to shift the power dynamics that Daddy Hov fears his daughter will have to confront.
Facebookers (myself included) are “liking” Prof. Watkins’ post as if doing so delivers a death blow to gender oppression. Newsflash!!! It doesn’t. And that means we have work to do. Gender oppression extends far beyond saying b&%@! As I climb off my soapbox, please indulge me by educating yourself on gender oppression and gender equality. Here are a few websites and videos to get you started:
Then put this newly-acquired knowledge into practice! Look for groups/organizations in your area that fight gender oppression. If one doesn’t exist, start one. There are also online initiatives that you can get involved in. You can contribute to a blog and spread awareness online. You can create art that educates us on this issue. You can create an app that supports gender justice. The possibilities are endless!
It is easy to sit back and critique Jay-Z without being self-reflexive. However, we perpetuate and/or survive gender oppression every…single…day. Now is the time to change the game. What are you going to do?
D. Carter
Coach Joe Ehrmann speaks about Yeardley Love
Joe Ehrmann, retired NFL player, coach and advocate against violence attended Yeardley Love’s funeral with his son, a UVA lacrosse player. Below is an excerpt from a piece about his reaction to the event.
I went to Yeardley Love’s funeral with my twenty two year old son. The University of Virginia lacrosse player was appearently murdered at the hands of a former boyfriend. My son, a college lacrosse player, was friends with Yeardley, her accused murderer, and many of the men and women on the UVA lacrosse teams. Sitting next to him, I could feel and see him trying to process the conflicted emotions surrounding the enormity of this tragedy, compounded by knowing both the victim and the victimizer. The young men sitting around me sobbed and sniffled. At one point in the ceremony I turned to an emotionally distraught young man and asked him if I could give him a hug. I was surprised at the strength and endurance of his hug as he held onto me seeking comfort and, I suspect, affirmation of his emotions and manhood. As he let go he said “thank you” without ever looking at me. Here lies part of the problem and a solution to the epidemic of violence women experience every day in Maryland and America.
The rest of Joe’s piece is incredible. It focuses on the importance of creating healthy masculinity and emphasizes the importance of engaging men in discussions about violence. It also challenges coaches to do more then teach their players about sports, but to teach them how to create healthy relationships and make a difference in their community. You can read the rest of the piece here.
Joe is an inspiring individual. He is the subject of the NY Times Bestseller, Seasons of Life, by Jeffrey Marx. Besides being a minister and high school football coach, Joe manages Coach for America and tours the country facilitating workshops about his philosophy of coaching and the importance of relationships and love.
Joe will be in Iowa City on June 16 at Kinnick Stadium presenting an all day seminar, Inside Out, which is open to the public. Take a look at the brochure for the seminar.
Below are clips from a feature Real Sports on HBO did on Joe, his life and his coaching philosophy. Take a look at the man who ends every football practice by asking his players “What is a coach’s job?” to which they reply “To love us.“
Online Diversity Toolkit
I want to highlight a wonderful resource for anyone interested in resources about diversity. It is a wiki called the Race Privilege and Cultural Competence in the Classroom at The University of Iowa. Around WRAC, we call it the Diversity Toolkit. It has numerous resources about how to facilitate discussions about diversity. It includes:
- Activities and Exercises
- Readings
- Video Clips
- and links to other online content and resources
You can take a look at the entire resource here. I’ve also placed a link to the Toolkit on our Resources page. Enjoy!
MAC training dates for spring…
If you’ve been looking for a way to get involved and make a difference in your community, the Men’s Anti-Violence Council (MAC) has set up training dates for Spring 2010. All Women’s Resource and Action Center (WRAC) volunteers complete a general orientation training, plus the training required by the group you join. WRAC general training will occur on February 2nd and 16th from 6:00-9:00 p.m. The training is open to any male-identified adult from the campus or community. MAC currently has 13 members and has delivered workshops and presentations to over 1,000 students and community members about violence prevention and healthy masculinity.
MAC volunteers will meet for an hour and a half weekly as a way to plan events and complete training. The specifics are currently being discussed, but it will most likely be a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. See the MAC calendar in the next week for more information about times and locations. If you are interested in getting involved, visit our volunteer page to complete an application. Please return it to WRAC before the first training. Please call us with any questions you have about the group. The number at the front desk is 319-335-1486. Thanks!
Defining men’s space and place in feminism
I thought I would post something personal about myself and share a bit about my struggle and reactions regarding my role as a man in feminism. I’ve struggled with this issue since I began this work. It was activated again during a conference I went to last week during a discussion about What are men’s roles in this gender equality, anti-violence, feminist, pro-feminist movement? Continue reading
Online presence
This is the first post of the Men’s Anti-Violence Council Blog. We created this site to increase the online presence of women and men who engage in gender equality and anti-violence work. We’re going to be adding new stuff everyday so please check back often more current updates. Thanks!
Visit the Facebook group that was created during the St. John’s conference on anti-violence and gender equality. What a great conference and group of people!
