"You think you a man, huh?!": Defining Manhood

As we dive into the season, we acknowledge that marriage, or any lifetime commitment, is worthless without personal investment and mastering self-awareness. Thus, we must ask, "How did we become the man, woman, non-binary person we are today?" "Who, and under what circumstances, has assisted us in establishing this identity and are we more true to ourselves or to an ideal?"As black boys, our first image of a man was our father or a male figure of stature and intrigue. On HOTT, we address our relationship with our fathers, its significance in how we established our identity, and how it influenced our external relationships-professional, intimate, etc.-as we matured, or not, as men. Topics as such are pivotal to identity formation and the ways in which we practice and normalize "masculinity", "black maleness", and what it means to be a "man". These terms are quoted to emphasize the need to challenge and exercise them subjectively and fluidly. Moreover, it is to encourage men to think, act, and live autonomously and no longer feel compelled to exert toxic, self-degrading actions in an effort to preserve their "manhood".