Black men as oppressors

During a conversation with a male friend not long ago on Blackness and his personal experience of being a Black man in America, he mentioned how he is working on reversing the current status quo. Working to have the current racial structures reversed and replaced with Black people so that we could dominate.

This is not the first time I heard this discourse. I heard this even from Black men who have proven multiple times to be misogynistic, homophobic and elitist. I was automatically filled with worry as I realised what would entail if men like that were in positions of power. Then I realised that I have countless examples from the two African countries I lived in. As a Black, African women, I have seen, countless times both on the personal level and the grander scheme of things, the impact misogynistic, homophobic and elitist powerful Black men have in the lives of other marginalised communities.

Replacing the White man with a Black man in positions of power is exactly that. Replacing the colour of the oppressor. Black people in positions of power does nothing for racial liberation and freedom, if they do not seek the eradication of oppressive systems and domination for ALL marginalised groups.

As a young Black girl living in two countries in Angola and Namibia. My first encounter with an oppressor was Black. The men who smacked my ass and grabbed it at my fifteen birthday party was Black. The first time I was slut-shamed was by a Black man, my countless experiences of harassment and nearly assault, were by Black men. My first encounter with misogynistic structures of dominations in heterosexual relationships was through the Black man in my family.

I have come to realize, over and over that most Black men do not want equality. Not the true meaning of the word! Many, merely want to be in the same positions of power as White men. The racial oppression they encounter both personal and systematic serves as a barrier for them to fulfil their desire for domination. This is evident in the abuse, mistreatment, degrading, sexualization and objectification of Black women and Black queers. Anyone who is pro-equality is pro the eradication of oppressive system as a whole, not selectively and so as long as it benefits them. Anyone is pro-equality is pro the eradication of domination, both personal and systematic.

However, to many Black men, this apparent lack of racial superiority in our white supremacist society, leads to many feeling the need to overcompensate this domination on Black women.

In essence, many feel “emasculated” by the White men and lash out this frustration for lack of power, on groups they deem to be inferior. These groups being Black women, Black queers and Black poor people, Black disabled people and other marginalised communities.

Black men, especially those living in the west, often ask Black women and queers to prioritise racial liberation and then once that has been achieved, Gender, Class, and Sexuality can be prioritised. That seems like the same tool, White women have been using for centuries to prioritise their freedoms and disregard the experiences of women from other marginalised groups.

As a Black, African woman, I cannot dissect my identities, pick and place them at hierarchies of which one is more worthy of liberation first. You cannot ask me to place my Blackness higher up in your hierarchy of value and rank being a woman last. Or ask lesbian women to choose their Blackness over being a woman and over being lesbian. No! Asking Black people who are part of other marginalised communities to prioritise which of their identity to liberate first is no different from our common oppressor who categorises human value through hierarchies of priorities.

In essence, we demand that Black men do better! We see countless times, Black women moving heaven and earth to protect Black men. The same men who rape us, harasses and use the white master´s tools and tactics on us too. To shame, degrade, and render us as less human simply because we are not born with a pair of balls nor fit their vision of what a pair of balls should be.

How are you pro-Black, yet believe that you were born with an inherit power to dominate and suppress anything that is not “masculine”? By using the same system, that dehumanises you and weaponises your existence.

It is imperative that Black men realize the intersections of their identity, their privilege and how they benefit off it. More importantly, realize their personal responsibility in ending systematic and personal structures of misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. Your failure to do so means that you are not really pro-Black people.

I know I will be told, that holding Black men accountable for their misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, elitism and overall gendered domination is divisive and shifts the focus from our real enemy, the white men. But to us, Black women and Black queers and other Black people with intersecting marginalised identities, both Black and White men seek all powers to dominate and oppress us. They use different tactics and in different degrees of oppression of course, but they all oppress us.

The title choice of this article comes from understanding how Black men often use the same tactics as White people to oppress other marginalised groups. Through denial and recognition of their privilege, through domination, they impose both personal and systematic. And resort to denying how they benefit off male privilege at the expense of other marginalised Black people.

If, after reading this, you are compelled to say, well that is not me. Ask yourself what have i, as a Black man done to eradicate domination, both on my personal life, and my dynamics with Black women, Black queers, and other Black people who do not fit in the hyper-masculine heterosexual version of Black masculinity.

I understand that Black masculinity renders you hostage by denying your humanity, your capacity to feel, express emotions, and be soft. I also understand how this White supremacist society rips you off your humanity and weaponises your existence. However, to me, to my Black sisters, to my Black queer siblings, you too have been the perpetrator of this system, a system you play a great role in ending it.

Black lives matter! All of them. No exceptions, no buts. All Black lives matter at the same degree. Period!