16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well, Alright! The Brotha is Fighting Sexism and Homophobia!, August 7, 2005
This review is from: New Black Man (Hardcover)
Dr. Neal asserts that the decades-old image of the "Strong Black Man" is often used to excuse misogyny and homophobia among black men. He goes on record in detailing how black male adults use the excuse of white racism in order to get away with abusing black women, black children, and black gays and lesbians. Thus, Dr. Neal posits that we need a "New Black Man": one who is committed to supporting black feminism, fighting anti-gay bigotry, and providing childcare for one's biological or adopted children.
This book really, really, really needs to be read alongside Patricia Hill-Collins "Black Sexual Politics." This book is original and refreshing, but there are many ways in which it is just a man saying "I second!" to what Dr. Hill-Collins already brought up. Both book name a lot of problems without providing many solutions, but that in no way denies that both are fierce reads. SNAP!
This book would be a great introduction to black feminism for men or women. It refers to many other texts on which progressive readers must get their hands. But then again, I thought some texts were missing. His ruminations on hip hop were almost exactly like the one in Rebecca Walker's "Daring to Be Bad" anthology. He talks of black fatherhood, but never mentions Earl Ofari Hutchison who has written two books on the topic. Still, he sometimes praises black women writers that I think are problematic. Julianne Malveaux has written things that I think are obnoxiously homophobic. I once saw a reading where Ntozake Shange was high and yelled out, "You can always a N*GGA to take you home!"
Throughout this book, Dr. Neal, a heterosexual brother, gives praise to his academic mentor Dr. Alexis De Veaux, a lesbian sister. I loved this unity across multiple identities. Due to "Will and Grace" and other cultural productions, it is often assumed that gay men and straight women can get along, but it's never brought up whether lesbians and straight men can do the same thing. This book answers that concerns; it almost reminds me of Steve Martin having lesbian friends in the film "L.A. Story."
The New York Times, approximately year ago, asked, "What counts for a gay book now that heterosexual writers are writing compelling and non-marginal gay characters and plots?" After years of writing from saints such as Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, Joseph Beam, Bev Smith, and many others, now black heterosexuals or blacks that do not posit their sexual identities are writing outstanding work championing gay rights. Besides this text, books by Dr. Guy-Sheftall and Dr. Abdel-Shehid have begun a new and exciting tradition. But to be honest, Dr. Neal spoke much more about sexism than homophobia and in no way do I feel that the straight black men that Dr. Neal critiques are somehow less homophobic than they are sexist. In the same way that he provides a laundry list a canonical black feminist writing, he or some other progressive scholar could write an equally lengthy list of phenomenal works by black lesbians and gay men. He gives catchy titles to all of his chapters but gives his gay chapter the borrowing, and possibly offensive title "Q***rs in a Barrel." He says he hopes his daughters will be able to state proudly whatever their sexual identities are, but he never says point blank, "I would be just as proud of my daughters if they were lesbian or bisexual as if they were heterosexual." If Matt Groening and Barack Obama have made such statements, why hasn't Dr. Neal?
Dr. Neal is very humble. He speaks of areas where he still struggles to address sexism or misogyny. He shies away from naming himself the "New Black Man." Dr. Dyson once called Cornel West "the humblest man in the world." That moniker could apply to Dr. Neal. His discussion on sleep apnea is important reading for heavyset brothers and other men who snore loudly at night.
Like Dr. Valdivia in "A Latina in Hollywood," this had a gushy chapter on parenting to which I couldn't relate. But if Cornel West and many others have written parenting books, it must be an important concern for many individuals out there.
This is a quick read. It may almost remind one of a series of magazine essays, rather than academic work. Many black folk without elite educations should be able to follow it.
This was very strong and refreshing cultural studies. I am definitely adding this book to my "Profeminist Men" amazon list.
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7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From the Publisher & a Critic (courtesy of Barnes & Noble), September 28, 2005
This review is from: New Black Man (Hardcover)
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"'In this book, acclaimed cultural critic Mark Anthony Neal argues that the ''Strong Black Man'' - an ideal championed by generations of African American civic leaders - may be at the heart of problems facing black men today. Despite the good intentions of its creation, he contends, this rigid model is used too often as justification for the oppression and mistreatment of black women and children. Neal urges us to imagine instead a ''New Black Man'' - a revolutionary model of black masculinity for the twenty-first century that moves beyond patriarchy to promote family, community, and diversity.' Part memoir, part manifesto, this book celebrates the black man of our times in all his vibrancy and virility. It is a tribute to a new face on the horizon of black America that is not to be missed."
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
"Who or what is the 'New Black Man'? Neal (black popular culture, Duke Univ.; Songs in the Key of Black Life) argues that, to survive, contemporary black men must disassociate themselves from the figure of the 'Strong Black Man' as designed by W.E.B. Du Bois and Frederick Douglass and instead embrace that of the New Black Man, whose strength resides in community, family, and diversity. This new model derides sexism and homophobia, which Neal argues have sprung inadvertently from the models of the past. Far from being a dull polemic, Neal's new work is sharp, provocative, and often laugh-out-loud funny in the manner of Michael Eric Dyson and Ishmael Reed (caveat: Neal's language can be rough). Taken in conjunction with Phillip Brian Harper's Are We Not Men?: Masculine Anxiety and the Problems of African-American Identity, this book is a clarion call that should be read by the entire African American community. Highly recommended for all academic and public libraries."--Anthony J. Adam, Prairie View A&M Univ. Lib., TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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