As many may know there are infinite stereotypes in society. Many of them are false, and they do not really correlate with their intended subject. Meanwhile, some of them almost seem factual. A major one that seems to be truth is that many black males struggle to become what is considered a “good” or “successful” man. There are numerous reasons that this could be thought of as truth as a lot of black males end up doing illegal things, leaving children behind, or simply not performing to the best of their abilities in life. By looking at “The Black Male Handbook” by Kevin Powell one can find facts that should and in most cases do create more successful black men. By using the research provided by history, and by observing the different issues first hand today, Powell is able to create a great influencing book for black males. 

This powerful book offers many different tips and aspects to being a better man. Before going into becoming this better successful man one must know what causes them to not be deemed good men. One obstacle that these males must overcome are stigmas. According to an undergraduate Harvard study people with even concealed stigmas faced lower self-esteem, and overall bad moods. (Frable, Platt, and Hoey. 1) If the impact of a concealed stigma can be this affecting one can take into account how a non-concealed stigma would affect a person. In fact, another study was performed dealing with the reactions of people who face stigmas that were not concealed. It was found in the study that those who conducted it noticed physically based stigmas were seen as uncontrollable, and elicited pity, no anger, and judgments to help. On the other hand, mental stigmas were viewed as controllable, and yet they let off little pity, much anger, and judgments to neglect. (Weiner, Perry, and Magnusson. 2) Clearly stigmas play a huge role in not only a person views themselves, but also how they take on the rest of everyday life. So, knowing that there are loads of stigmas that are attached to being a black male it is easy to draw a connection that most times these males are negatively impacted by them. These stigmas also impact those around them. For instance, with many of the unwarranted shootings of African-American males the shooters perceived these people as dangerous despite them not doing any dangerous activities. Instances like this are what cause other African-Americans to begin to resent others who they feel could view them as dangerous. Even sometimes, females will not associate themselves with a black male for fear of them leaving their family behind, or being “dangerous” and other such nonsense. These stigmas play a huge role in the thought process surrounding their intended targets. 

Another major issue that many different people experience are micro-aggressions. These are subtle insults that are sometimes not even consciously spoken. (Solórzano, Ceja, and Yosso. 1) These are racists comments, and it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how racisms can negatively impact a person or group of people. An example given of a micro-aggression is “You [a black person] are not like the rest of them. You are different.” (Solórzano, Ceja, and Yosso. 2) Or how about when an African-American doesn’t like to eat fried chicken or watermelon. Hearing such comments could lead to a black male asking themselves how they are different, or why they are different. Then after asking themselves these kinds of questions one must then of course ask themselves do they want to be different, or how it would affect the way that they interact with their own people. Along with having to deal with stigmas, black males must constantly deal with subtle racist comments whether they were intentional or not. 

With so many things working to hinder the mental aspects of the black male themselves, they must also deal with the way that other races view them. So the book has a whole section at the end on how a black man can better present themselves to those around them, which many actually struggle to do in the “proper” aspect. The book speaks on many things, but they all can be summed up as the etiquette that the black male exhibits. For instance, wearing a good solid colored suit to a special occasion (many times an individual will attempt to put too much flare into the outfit) is a good way to present oneself. (Powell. 232) This tip the book provides comes from the simple fact that having oneself be presented in a successful way, will have them feel better, others around them feel better, and lead to much more success. A major instance where a black males’ appearance came into play was when George Zimmerman shot unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was reportedly “threatened” by Trayvon citing he was wearing a black hoodie at night. Would Zimmerman have engaged with Trayvon if the young man wasn’t wearing a black hoodie at night?

For some people, good etiquette is not just nice to have, it is necessary. (Preece. 5) The use of etiquette not only makes it easier to communicate, but makes it easier to trust, and get what you want from another person with much ease. Not only is it directly beneficial to the one displaying good etiquette but also for others. Whereas children often see how adults and other children behave, absorb these good behaviors, and learn the proper etiquette to use at an early age. This role-modeling process continues throughout life. (Preece. 6) By creating a large number of good men, they should influence the younger generation to become the same type of men. 

Understanding why Kevin Powell created this book it is much easier to see how he goes about creating it. Powell simply goes about attacking the issues that he has observed head on by having tips for overcoming them. Whether it be washing properly, dressing appropriately, finding a spiritual foundation or even walking a certain way. Powell delivers this message in an easy to understand way as most black males struggle to continue all the way through the education system (whether it be lack of money, grades, or concentration). He also places loads of cultural things to be able to relate to in the book. These things can be anything from food, successful black entrepreneurs, rap artists, and many more things. It always helps to relate to something in order to better understand it, and to be able to relate to it. This is also a major reason that the book is so popular as it is an easy read. It also has many of the things that interest the same group of people that it targets. So, by using the research provided by history, and by observing the different issues first hand Powell is able to create a great influencing book for black males. A book that not only would black males be willing to accept as a gift from a family member, but also be willing to go and buy themselves in the store if they had seen it on the shelf. 
