Black Men in America

The Importance of Being A Respectable African American Man: Howard University

After getting dropped off at Howard University this August, I promised myself and my parents one thing: throughout my matriculation at the University, I would make sure to remember who I was, where I came from, why I was here, where I wanted to go, and who I wanted to be. I made sure to let myself know that these were going to be the key points in the motivational speeches I told myself once things were getting rough or I felt I could continue no longer. Because of this, I find myself to be the most driven out of my friends and the most determined to succeed academically, socially, and spiritually at Howard. I think it is extremely important to be a respectable African American man, not only for myself, but also as examples for my constituents.

Growing up in California, I often was surrounded by predominately Caucasian men and women; I found it to be so important to not perpetuate any stereotypes that they may view while flipping through channels like BET, MTV, or Vh1. My goal was to not be Flavor Flav, or Tyrese in Baby Boy. I wanted to make sure I was perceived as who I really was: an educated African American male trying to make the most out of the opportunities he was blessed with. Now, that I live in Washington, D.C., I think it is even more important to maintain my character. African American men and women that are doing nothing with their life constantly surround me. Drug dealers, impregnated youth, and even crack addicts roam the streets of Northwest Washington every day, and they adequately depict exactly who I don’t want to be and whom I don’t want to befriend.

However, I am well guided. It is now time I help my brothers in Drew Hall. Surely, I admit I have made many mistakes in the past couple of weeks. I admit that I could have handled situations differently, as well as not putting myself in certain situations as a whole. Nonetheless, I am fortunate enough to have a...