Seeing deep poverty up close and personal, meeting and talking with victims of crime, combined with numerous observations of the impact of social neglect on real people’s lives, I am confronted with a troubling feeling. On one hand I desire to be part of a process of social change and transformation, but there is a strong sense of feeling quite powerless to affect the changes I want to see take place. It was at this point I started to reflect on a book by Donna Merten’s called ‘Transformative research and Evaluation.’ She states:
‘The transformative paradigm recognises that serious problems exist in communities despite their resilience in the process of throwing off the shackles of oppression as well as making visible the oppressive structures in society. Researchers working in any type of community can learn from those who are engaged in this struggle, just as we learn from each other through critical examination of the assumptions that have historically guided research studies’
Merten’s point reassures me that research can transcend the boundaries of the academy and locate itself in the process of social change and transformation. It is an isolating place to be, as to do so means limiting the kind of resource opportunities available for conventional approaches to research. Ultimately it is down to each research to take a position in relation to their core values, passion, and vision for the work they’re doing. Baltimore has more than confronted me with that reality. I am now going to attempt to explain my reasons for taking this position:
For most of my working and professional life I have worked with many social groups, committed to enabling those with silent and invisible voices to be seen and heard. It has been a difficult journey at times, leading to many moments of self-doubt, trepidation, and emptiness. The contrast at times has been empowering, motivating, and energising. However, the continuing challenge to play a role in enabling black men to find their own voices is an on-going battle. In spite of being a practitioner of many years, and now venturing into the world of academia, via a PhD, I still have difficulties in raising the profile of the work I do. Mainly because the story of black men has been traditionally told by others. By moving away from this position has at times posed a threat to much of the dominant theories and practices. Baltimore has reaffirmed my commitment to continuing this struggle (and it is a struggle) as there are very few people committed to engaging with that section of the black community that has been written off and are not easy to access. It is not an easy type of work nor is it driven by ego. It is something more fundamental. The need for the community to be a place where black men go to prison less, are less mentally ill, and can restore their well-being back to some kind of balance.
Many black men within the UK and US are over represented amongst the prison population, are suspended and expelled from school more than their white counterparts, gang affiliation amongst many young black men is on the increase, black on black violence through guns is growing, and many young black men are struggling to achieve positive masculine development in relation to fatherhood. Equally as important is the recognition that there are many successful black men who have excelled in their chosen careers and professions, who are hard working, haven’t been in trouble with the law, and are taking care of their families.
Despite the increase in social mobility, earnings, and opportunities for black men in the UK and US, it is questionable whether they are more socially acceptable. The rise in extreme right wing activity, the absence of a positive black male presence within the UK and US media landscape, and a social infrastructure that addresses itself more to black men as a problem, as opposed to an asset. In investigating the current social positioning of black men within a UK and US context, it is important to identify key factors that both unite and divide black men.
It is this questioning that has led me to believe that black men in the UK and US are still being moved away from achieving a meaningful and productive life. I am of the opinion that living within a society that defines itself through a mono-cultural ideology, many black men have constructed a self-concept and masculine identity more as a coping strategy built more on survival than designing a template for holistic living. It is my view that this coping strategy sets up the possibility for the development of a false consciousness that is maintained through fears, pressure, and intimidation by social structures, who demand loyalty, restricting any questioning of its values.
For black men in the UK and US to gain more ground and have a bigger stake in the wealth of the country, there needs to be a re-framing of the current world view that many of us hold. Things are further complicated by an institutional response to black needs that uses ‘Street Level Bureaucracy’ as the conduit for handling the social aspirations of black men. This systematic approach to public policy delivery operates very effectively by stifling black self-determination, independence, and ultimately liberation from a system that serves its own needs. The net result is a black community that becomes trapped, disillusioned, powerless and ultimately controlled.
It is easy to fall into a rhetorical position about who has the best theory, best position, most coherent argument, and numerous other postures that have little validity or credibility with a gunshot victim, families living in poverty, or countless individuals who have no voice in how their communities are maintained where each member feels connected and takes ownership for making the environment a great place to reside. I started the journey in Baltimore unaware of the eventual impact of the trip. I’ve almost concluded my sojourn with a renewed sense of purpose and a desire to use my skills and expertise for the greater good. Not only am I comfortable with that decision, but I feel it’s is the right thing to do.
Peace
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