Black-Ass Men: What’s Going On?
Welcome to This Black-Ass Life! We’re ✈️ to the passport bros universe and larger movements online targeting and recruiting Black men into hate.
Note: This is not about pathologizing all Black men, and we are not even going to get into the hellscape that is the larger deadly misogynistic movements plaguing American women (Google news search “family annihilators” but be warned it is very dark and very sad). This is about cultural shifts online fomenting misogynoir, ableism, and violence.
I. The Facts
If you’ve been on Beyoncé’s internet, you’ll notice some Black men are on one. From being vocal virulent anti-semites to alpha males, passport bros, and incels who hate Black women for not dating them, there is much to unpack. A few archetypes:
“I like to denigrate Black women until I need them for my come up”
After spending years comparing Black women to trash, excrements, and roaches, bullying dark-skinned women for simply existing, and being so odious that his own mama had to tweet her disappointment, Waymond Wesley rebranded as a TikTok chef making oxtail pasta. Oh, he was also until recently a Houston prosecutor who literally has power over Black women’s freedom.
Another example: Every single Black male public figure who suddenly cares about Meg after that recording came out of that man almost explicitly telling on himself.
For men like that, Black women are social currency. Depending on the political climate, if it’s more advantageous to shit on us, join in! If it’s advantageous to love us publicly, put a photo of a slain or hurt Black woman as your header and “feminist” in your bio, and hope everyone forgets about the many times you called dark-skinned women apes on Twitter.
“I hate Black women a lot! Especially if they are fat and/or dark-skinned!”
We’ve written about the Black manosphere and the alpha male coaches who teach and encourage pick-up artists' predatory behavior. While their internet daddy Kevin Samuel is dead, his disciples continue to preach harebrained ideas like the belief they must marry and procreate with non-Black women to prevent a future Black underclass.
Passport bros are a subset of the Black manosphere who believe Black American women are too masculine and too independent so their only option is to travel outside of the U.S. to find “traditional wives.”
If they weren't focused on sex tourism and dominating economically vulnerable women, passport bros would actually be comical. These bozos think they are spitting game when they are actually just a sentient blue passport with a few dollars in their pocket in a country with a favorable exchange rate. Sir, calm all the way down.
“Anti-Semitism is alright with me because my mind is freeeeee.”
Noted misogynist and anti-Black racist K*ny* W*st went on a months-long anti-semitism tirade in 2022 and was exposed as a Hitler apologist and superfan.
Basketball man Ky*i* Ir*i*g kept promoting an antisemitic film until he lost too much money and then said sorry.
Why does it matter?
This might seem like unrelated disparate foolishness, but it actually speaks to a right-ward turn in Black men overall, which has real-world consequences. For example, if we believe voting is an indicator of cultural beliefs, things are happening! The percentage of Black men voting Democrat has dipped in every national election since 2012. “This slight red-ward move among Black male voters held steady in 2016 but grew to 18 percent in 2020 … and 2022 midterms moved in the same direction. For example, in Georgia, 94 percent of Black women voted for Stacey Abrams, while 86 percent of Black men voted for her, according to AP Votecast.”
It must be noted Russian fake-news campaigns targeted Black voters more than any other group.
This is not what freedom looks like. When famous Black male comedians revel in transphobia, when shmanye shmest puts his lil red hat on, and when your one Black Republican acquaintance defends Clarence Thomas, they typically share that their transgressive viewpoint is what being free looks like. They are not representing all Black people, they say. They are thinking for themselves, and isn’t that what freedom actually is?
No. Never mind their idea of freedom is not expansive and completely lacks imagination; why does their freedom have to come at the expense of other marginalized people’s humanity? You’re so free you hate jewish people and trans women? Ok, bro.
Also, eugenics! When Black men post videos about “investing their seed” in non-Black women, they are tap dancing in the world of eugenics, a danger to vulnerable communities, especially disabled people.
What can my Black ass do?
Black women, your creator did not create you to save anyone at the expense of yourself.
DISENGAGE when you need to. Roxane Gay called the internet the “place where people engage others with the least charitable outlook possible.” Knowing that, create an internet usage philosophy that works for you. For example:
I (Mitu) have a solid 300+ muted and blocked terms and accounts to protect my peace online. We simply should not be aware of how many people hate us.
Take a cue from my (Jumoke’s) little sister and make an intention to stop reading/watching/listening to content that emotionally incites and makes you angry. Be like Tobi and protect your limbic system.
Feel your feels, this sucks. I (Jumoke) thought I was somewhat immune to internet foolishness, but the whole Waymond Wesley saga made me really sad. Seeing a Black man blame Sandra Bland for her own death, seeing another type the words, “Black B*tches make for good punching bags,” and doing it all on the internet with their full government?! He knew what many like him know; being indiscriminately cruel to Black women for absolutely no reason, especially to dark-skinned fat Black women, has no consequences. I couldn’t thug it out y’all; it really hurt.
II. Other Things
Black-ass happenings
We’re ready, Chlöe!
TV is back, baby! Ok, it actually never left, but your favorite and soon-to-be favorite shows are back. Bel-Air, Natasha Rothwell’s How to Die Alone, and Grand Crew.
Who took Usain’s money? Run him his money! 🥁
Watch All the Single Ladies on OWN.
We happened again upon the perfect twitter thread of Tyrese moments.
This story about a forgotten civil rights hero, Barbara Johns, is fascinating.
DEI roles are some of the first to go in tech layoffs. Shocker.
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Jumoke):
Libianca’s People (Check On Me) sit atop the U.S. Afrobeats charts this week, and she deserves. Asake is also on loop.
Things we look forward to:
I (Jumoke) look forward to seeing my cardiologist on Wednesday. Not because of anything life-altering but because they’ve sent me 32 text reminders, 25 emails, and actual letter reminders. Y’all, I will be there! Watch me be late, lol.
I (Mitu) look forward to Missing because I love seeing Nia Long continue to thrive.
lll. Confusion from a Black-Ass Baby
This precious, confused, over it baby.
Stay Black, have a snack, and take a nap today. We'll hit your inbox next on February 6.