Xavier’s men confront toxic masculinity; define the modern man
March 15, 2023
One in five men in the Americas will not reach the age of fifty due to issues relating to toxic masculinity, according to the Pan American Health Organization. At HBCUs, young Black women far outnumber young Black men. For this academic year, Xavier’s campus was 77.2 percent women and 22.7 percent male. And while women often lead conversations around toxic masculinity, in recent times, younger men are feeling more comfortable about speaking about their emotions, particularly in the African American community.
So The Herald is creating space for young men at Xavier to speak about toxic masculinity to explore what it is, how it affects us, and what can be done to combat it.
Tymechie Anthony II, a sophomore biology pre-medicine major at Xavier from Memphis, Tenn. defines toxic masculinity as: “Overcompensating, whether that be physically or in behavioral traits that you feel like are considered masculine, in order to compensate for some other area that has been deemed not masculine enough.
”Some of these behavioral traits were also shared by Charles Marlin III, a first-year Master of Public Health candidate at Xavier from Atlanta, Ga. He described being “toxic” as “not able to show your emotions and always having to be that person in charge,” Marlin said.
This includes bottling up emotions and putting on a tough face even in times of despair, which can lead to “macho” culture that develops into dangerous risk-taking behavior, Xavier’s young men shared. These unexpressed emotions can build up and burst out, leading to aggression. It can be dangerous for any man, especially a Black man in today’s social climate where the smallest sign of perceived aggression could make an encounter with the police fatal. Macho culture is not only dangerous for men, it can also be dangerous for the women around them.
“It can be that men don’t show women much respect and their conversations about women are often repeatedly offensive,” said Winston Young, a junior computer science major at Xavier from Mobile, Ala.
Studies have shown that a lack of respect for women can degenerate into deeper expressions of misogyny such as domestic violence and objectification of women, which could lead to sexual violence and abuse.
Though it’s apparent that toxic masculinity is a serious issue, it is not one without a solution. Upon being asked how he could combat toxic masculinity Javin Eugene, a freshman chemistry pre-pharmacy major at Xavier from Jeanerette, La. said: “I would go to therapy, I think that would help.”
Traditionally, for Black men there has been a stigma around going to therapy, about admitting that help is needed, but both Eugene and Anthony agreed that having someone to talk with about one’s emotions, can make a world of difference.
On campus, Xavier’s men said it is important to find ways to release stress in healthy ways. Anthony shared that when he plays basketball, lifts weights, and focuses on his schoolwork it helps takes his mind off difficult things. He adds that for other young men, the solution may be different for everybody but what’s important is focusing on one’s own unique challenges, and identifying ways to release those triggers in order to not develop toxic tendencies.
Marlin added that he will work on reassuring his mentees and future children that it’s okay to be sensitive and emotional and that being a man doesn’t mean just one thing.
“Honestly, I feel like being myself, and being aware of what I know now, and trying to share that with others is the best way I can help,” Marlin said.
