“Greetings,
I would like to thank you all for allowing me to sit in on your group discussion tonight. I found your comments refreshing and enlightening. I’d like to write about the gathering tomorrow in my column for Tuesday and wanted to ask a few of questions. If you’re up to it, feel free to answer tonight. If not as early as possible tomorrow. Don’t feel compelled to answer them all. Finally, I only have two e-mail addresses so please forward this to anyone who attended tonight’s meeting.
Questions:
#1: How often do you meet?
#2: What do each of you consider the greatest benefit of these gatherings?
#3. Do these discussions detailing the enormity of problems facing African-Americans ever frustrate any of you? If not, why not?
#4. How do you feel about the Vogue cover? Was it insulting or not?
#5. What are your thoughts about blacks in the media?
#6. Feel free to elaborate on any subject I have not covered or any thoughts you want to share.
Important: Please identify yourself (name, age, occupation, title and the area where you live). I’d like to use your names but if you rather I not identify you, please let me know or supply an identifier (“Ron, a coach at Normandy).
Again, I appreciate the valuable conversation and look forward to meeting with you all again.
Respectfully, Sylvester”
Everyone can answer in the form of a comment to this thread or respond to the e-mail, if you got it!
Vetulus Pectoris Societas (Poor Souls Society) 
#1: I’ve not been able to track how often we meet, however it appears to be quarterly (maybe less).
#2: I think I consider the support, camaraderie, intellectualism and challenge of ideas to be both affirming and the greatest benefit of these gatherings.
#3: Yes, these discussions can sometimes be frustrating, however that is only because I wish to see our people experience better! Also it can be frustrating merely discussing things, although that kind of frustration is healthy and good in that it can encourage us to act. It’s good to have a sounding board for your ideas first, so this group can become that platform. I think if you do not sometimes get frustrated with mere talk, you could be in danger of being a blow-hard, who only knows how to sell ‘wolf-tickets’ to life’s issues and problems!
#4: I did not personally find the Vogue cover of LeBron insulting… and I have more comments at: https://poorsoulssociety.wordpress.com/black-men-speak-up/racism-or-just-over-sensitivity/
#5: I think portrayal of African-Americans (men in particular) in the media has been mostly negative (with a few notable exceptions). There are those within our community who have notoriously been targets of the press and exploited by the media as a whole. The images that often make good headlines and are clear economically-based decisions, are usually negative and dangerous to our future as African-Americans. We need to utilize both the press and mainstream media at large to highlight the specific issues (and resolutions) that bring and keep us down as a people!
#6: I also think that if we target the worst issues and ills within our community and come up with subject related ‘lobby’-type groups, we can begin to better control our destiny and empower the people. We should then duplicate this all across the U.S and utilize the shear numbers and potential financial magnitude to evoke change in those targeted areas. We’ve seen something similar to this in history through the ‘Civil Rights Movement’, that even though during that time we were not completely unified as a people, we at least could come together against a common enemy and problem(s)!
#1 This was the first meeting I’ve gone to so I don’t have any information of how often the meetings occur.
#2 I see the greatest benefit of having these meetings is that you begin to hear voices of black men speak in a way you may have never heard before unless you watch the news like cnn, bet or any other media outlets which cater to at times to an African American audience.
#3 Discussion detailing the enormity of problems facing African Americans or more frustrating if these issues are not discussed. Having varied dialogue and opinions is whats needed to begin to heal and understand what ails us.
#4 The Vogue cover with Lebron was not insulting to me personally because I know what they were trying to portray and it would serve as a vehicle to get Blacks talking about negative portayals of blacks in the media. That and they wanted to sell magazines and people would buy the magazine just because of the controversy of the nature of the cover.
#5 Blacks in the media are underrepresented because there are not enough media outlets where Blacks can represents ourselves.
#6 I would just like to wrap up with the point that if Blacks do not begin to stand up to make positive change in the Black community then someone else will and it may not be in our best interest.
1. Black Men Speak Up is a dialogue group that meets roughly about every other month. The group was born out of an emergency meeting that took place right after a New York Times article came out discussing the state of young black men. We meet and talk about diverse topics ranging from homophobia in the black male community to the black male image in the media. Previous topics of discussion have included:
• Racism and Sexism: Can we end one without addressing the other?
• No Sagging Laws
• Black Male Identity: What does it mean to be a black man?
• How can we promote activism from the intellectual and professional community?
2. In my opinion, the greatest benefit of the group is simple: to interrupt the negative messages we receive about black men and to offer support to one another. Too often we are bombarded with messages about the mistakes of the black man. This group exists to help offer a broader picture to some of those myths. The brothers that come to the gatherings come from all walks of life. We have active and involved fathers and devoted and life-long educators. The group is comprised of young businessmen and civic-minded professors. We bring diverse experiences and insights to a courageous and open conversation. Some of the insights that are shared in the meetings have helped shape my own thought processes. We do not all have the same experiences, and we can learn from the experiences of others.
3. I think most of the people that come to the group come with a positive attitude and an opened mind. I think we all have experienced our fair share of frustrations. However, my frustrations existed long before the group started meeting. Sometimes, I didn’t have the words to describe my frustrations. After the group started meeting, I begin to realize that others also share these frustrations. I was able to hear those frustrations verbalized. I believe hearing others state their frustrations has been a benefit to me. I realize that I am not alone. And, it gives me hope.
4 and 5. The Vogue cover was disappointing. It also became a topic of conversation at a very interesting time. Race relations in the United States are a long way from where they need to be. This was brilliantly pointed out in Barack Obama’s honest and provocative speech on the history of race relations in the United States. Ironically, I knew that it was time to have the uncomfortable conversation on race and racism in the media. I have not been looking forward to the conversation about racism. Most black people that I know hate having such a conversation with the dominant culture group (white folks) about race. It seems to me, throughout his entire campaign, Mr. Obama has tried to avoid having the topic of his candidacy be reduced to his race and ethnicity. However, it has continued to be an issue. Similarly, I hoped that I could avoid addressing these issues about our media. But, the primary images of African Americans in the media today still ascribe to the ideas of old ethnic notions. Those ideas may look a little different today, but they still exist. Commercials, sitcoms, dramas, billboards, radio and music helps to continue our socialization.
1. This is the first, but certainly not the last, meeting that I have attended.
2. It’s great to have an opportunity and a forum to discuss the social and eco-social circumstances and issues that are esoteric to our race/gender. To be able to articulate and share in the similar experience of others is a great way to gain a more complete point of view on what really is at hand.
3. No, they don’t frustrate me. They in fact alleviate the frustration that comes with some of the things endured but not discussed on a day to day basis.