A field notes essay

Welcome to Society Black Boy

For young African American youth growing up in New York City, life isn’t always an easy journey. I grew up as such and can attest to the point that from a young age being a black boy, you notice the attitude(s) shown toward you by society’s perceptions and prejudice. For my field working expedition I decided to visit and observe an event called “The Black Men’s Brunch”, hosted by the 500 Men Making a Difference organization. A group whose mission and vision is to “…acknowledges the work that must be done to improve the lives of many of our brothers and their families, by creating a rich culture in Brooklyn that offers fertile ground for the city’s children to prosper and developing a long-lasting legacy and a future without limits.”, as mentioned on their website. This collective of men and their event was the perfect choice to tie into my desired subculture research which is black boys/men growing up within NYC. The impactful aspect of the event and organization itself is the fact that it’s predominantly made up entirely of African American members.

Walking through the Black Men’s Brunch

Arriving to the venue the first noticeable thing was the space’s size. It was large enough for the organization to split it directly down the middle to provide space for business promotion setups (all black owned), table/chair and stage setup for speakers and award granting, not to mention sections for food caterers to serve everyone present. The businesses where showcasing, selling, and informing about their product/innovations, I even purchased an organic based aromatherapy cologne from an all-natural company, “I AM PLANTBASED”. In addition to the amazing convention style setup for brands, and the table & stage setup, there were also paintings hung on nearly every wall, at least 8 largely scaled paintings with some smaller ones that could be spotted during a stroll around the space. The best part about the art wasn’t the art itself, but that they were all created by African American artists, and even available for purchase via auction (and they were not cheap!). In its entirety this event’s setup, positive energy, and black filled presence was amazing to take in, you don’t see that every day…

Brunch Attendee Experience

The attire of all the men at the event was on the more business casual side of dressing, although some of the younger men mixed the business casual with sneakers, which I expected being the plethora of ages present. The room was consumed by talk pertaining to ideas, accomplishments, and overall acknowledgement, even New York City mayor Eric Adams came and had time on stage answering questions and overall speaking about his accomplishments since gaining his position (fun fact, Mayor Adams is also a member of the 500 Men Making a Difference). Amongst my view of networking and recognitions, one rising conflict was the lack of adult to adolescent interaction. Although yes, most adolescents/teens came with their fathers and or a Youth Organization, the older men of the space didn’t initially approach any of the younger men, just one another, catching up and what not. Granted being friends, colleagues, etc., the older men should have prioritized being more proactive in speaking to the younger attendees, simply creating space for mentorship and overall inspiration…something black boys/teens need today given today’s prejudice and stereotypical boxes they’re placed in. This issue came to an end when a man by the name of Barry Cooper, who while during his speech post award acceptance, put the older men of the room in the hot seat by asking “Who here has come up to any of the young men to simply ask what their plans are?”. After that, the better interactions began amongst the younger and older men. Once this shift began the event became filled with more noise as I witnessed more talking from everyone compared to the one sidedness of the older men’s conversation(s) earlier in the event.

An Event with Significance

Events like the Black Men’s Brunch isn’t new for the 500 Men Making a Difference organization. They have been holding this yearly brunch for several years, each year outdoing the one before while still withholding the presence of prestigious black men and younger adolescents & teenagers. Which is great for some considering that not only from personal experience, but from research as well have I been able to draw the conclusion that growing up as a black boy simply isn’t always simple. In a research article published for The Urban Review, it went in depth about the educational disparities faced by black boys, grades pre-k to high school, along with how these issues can be resolved.  “In addition to experiencing discrimination, developing Black adolescent boys are also fully engulfed in adolescence. As noted in the CLCIF they are simultaneously experiencing puberty and the related physical and emotional vulnerabilities. Some Black adolescent boys may lack academic confidence and question their abilities as they struggle to resist internalizing negative perceptions from others in society (Rogers et al., 2015; Thomas & Stevenson, 2009).” (Wint, Opera, Gordon, Brooms, 2021, p.198). Not only does this portion of the text speak on discrimination, a big problem in today’s modern society, but it also went into the point that society plays a role in steering black boys away from school due to negative tendencies. A solution to this however according to the article are social supports along with mentoring relationships. The text reads, “The contexts within which Black boys and Black adolescent boys are developing (i.e., society, neighborhoods, schools, and families) highlight important factors for their educational success (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006; Carey, 2020; Nelson, 2016). As such, restructuring such environments to create more equitable opportunities as well as foster confidence and equipping Black boys and Black adolescent boys to make agentic decisions towards achieving their academic potential is critical (Brooms, 2019; Fergus et al., 2014; Grey, 2018). These support systems include educators (i.e., teachers, counselors), mentors, community members, and the family.” (Wint, Opera, Gordon, Brooms, 2021, p.191). The Black Men’s Brunch served and ideally will continue to serve as the event that contains the necessary mentors, community members, and in essence family of leaders that can shift perspective and make change for black adolescent boys and teenagers.

Creating New Spaces, the Approach

At the event was a brother by the name of Barry Cooper. Along with being the cause of better interactions at the brunch, Cooper also creates spaces for young men of color to be vulnerable and overall thrive. I have the privilege of knowing Barry, and not only was I able to speak with him at the Black Men’s Brunch, but outside of that setting as well. “…we are always on this quest to find or refine who we are as a people, and in particular with men of color, you know, we start at a deficit social/economically. And then we are like thrusted into these responsibilities at a young age to be men before we even understand what boyhood is…and that was something that I dealt with growing up, and that’s something that a lot of my peers dealt with growing up…” (B. Cooper, personal communication, 04/10/2023). Barry described how he felt toward adolescent black boys and teens in a way that shows the purity of his intentions. He certainly belonged at that Black Men’s Brunch and as a matter of fact was presented an award for his work in not only his community but the communities housings dozens of black boys around New York City! “So now I just want to create spaces where young men can really understand the reality of being a black boy wherever you dwell…”. (B. Cooper, personal communication, 04/10/2023) In the subject of enabling young black youth to be successful, Barry and his non-profit organization “The Bro Experience” (which “Bro” stands for Brothers Redefining Opportunities) is taking promising steps toward the future of black boys.

Conclusion

As my time at the Black Men’s Brunch came to an end, I walked through the packed venue toward the exit simply taking in the experience before I departed. I had just witnessed something that not everyone has the ability to see, a room completely full of predominantly African American men who were prestigious, well accomplished, and serious about their work and making a change in the black community. This contrasts deeply from the media/societal outlook on black men…leave it to society and you’ll only see black boys, teens, and men viewed via stereotypes and prejudice. Even with a slight misdirection in communication on the older men’s behalf at first, the Black Men’s Brunch was an amazing/beneficial event for everyone present. (at least according to the smiles and laughs everyone had, adolescent & adult).

The Black Men’s Brunch not only serves as a social gathering to exchange endeavors, accomplishments, and plans…It is a space created by black men for black boys, teenagers, and men to witness something other than what society has set up for them. With spaces like this, black boy’s perspectives change when they see people just like them, in their greatness.

Work Cited

Wint, K.M., Opara, I., Gordon, R. et al. Countering Educational Disparities Among Black Boys and Black Adolescent Boys from Pre-K to High School: A Life Course-Intersectional Perspective. Urban Rev 54, 183–206 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-021-00616-z

500 Men Making a Difference website: https://www.500menmakingadifference.org/