In every representation of the Negro, he was pictured as a gorilla dressed up like a man.  His picture was never carried in the newspapers of the South (the same rule holds today in most parts of the South) unless he committed a crime….All of this fitted into the stereotype which represented the Negro as subhuman or a beast, without any human qualities.  –E. Franklin Frazier, The Black Bourgeoisie, 1957

How do we dispell such stereotypes, or is it even possible? The basis of this manhood development program is to examine such misrepresentations and empower our youth to challenge those in every facet of their lives–to be positive, productive, and purposeful members of society who exhibit thoughts and actions beyond the expected.  I remember the Nortorius B.I.G. saying, “Stereotypes of the Black male misunderstood, and it’s still all good.”  I agree, Big, we’re misunderstood.

Your thoughts?