Essay About 4:44 Footnotes Video - Indiana - Research

Sahor​ ​Jr​ ​1
Alieu​ ​Sahor​ ​Jr
Professor​ ​Walker
English​ ​101
27​ ​October​ ​2017
Surviving​ ​As​ ​a​ ​Black​ ​Man​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Black​ ​Community
Rapper​ ​and​ ​entrepreneur,​ ​Sean​ ​Carter,​ ​also​ ​known​ ​as​ ​Jay​ ​Z​ ​once​ ​said​ ​“​Identity​ ​is​ ​a​ ​prison
you​ ​can​ ​never​ ​escape,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​way​ ​to​ ​redeem​ ​your​ ​past​ ​is​ ​not​ ​to​ ​run​ ​from​ ​it,​ ​but​ ​to​ ​try​ ​to
understand​ ​it,​ ​and​ ​use​ ​it​ ​as​ ​a​ ​foundation​ ​to​ ​grow.”​ ​This​ ​quote​ ​fits​ ​in​ ​today’s​ ​debate​ ​about​ ​how
black​ ​men​ ​are​ ​ostracized​ ​in​ ​society​ ​and​ ​how​ ​it​ ​affected​ ​them​ ​growing​ ​up.​ ​In​ ​his​ ​most​ ​recent
album,​ ​4:44,​ ​Jay​ ​Z​ ​expressed​ ​his​ ​frustration​ ​for​ ​being​ ​a​ ​black​ ​man​ ​in​ ​America​ ​and​ ​the​ ​effects
that​ ​it​ ​has​ ​on​ ​life​ ​as​ ​a​ ​impoverished​ ​kid​ ​and​ ​a​ ​wealthy,​ ​successful​ ​man.​​ ​S​ince​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of
time​ ​black​ ​men​ ​have​ ​been​ ​oppressed,​ ​whether​ ​wealthy​ ​or​ ​poor.​ ​In​ ​4:44​ ​footnote​ ​video,​ ​Jay​ ​Z,​ ​as
well​ ​as​ ​many​ ​other​ ​successful​ ​black​ ​men​ ​explained​ ​how​ ​a​ ​black​ ​must​ ​be​ ​successful​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to
get​ ​“a​ ​key”​ ​to​ ​the​ ​white​ ​world.​ ​The​ ​individuals​ ​also​ ​talked​ ​about​ ​how​ ​black​ ​men​ ​are​ ​expected​ ​to
be​ ​hide​ ​their​ ​emotions​ ​because​ ​they​ ​have​ ​to​ ​uphold​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​level​ ​of​ ​masculinity.​ ​​ ​All​ ​in​ ​all,​ ​the
individuals​ ​in​ ​Jay​ ​Z’s​ ​Footnote​ ​videos​ ​have​ ​all​ ​been​ ​ostracized​ ​from​ ​the​ ​black​ ​community
through​ ​their​ ​success​ ​and​ ​their​ ​inappropriate​ ​behavior​ ​as​ ​black​ ​men.
In​ ​4:44​ ​footnote​ ​video,​ ​professional​ ​basketball​ ​player,​ ​Chris​ ​Paul​ ​talked​ ​about​ ​how​ ​in
society​ ​or​ ​to​ ​a​ ​black​ ​woman,​ ​a​ ​black​ ​man​ ​isn’t​ ​supposed​ ​to​ ​show​ ​emotions.​ ​That​ ​a​ ​man​ ​must
hide​ ​emotions​ ​so​ ​he​ ​does​ ​so​ ​and​ ​no​ ​one​ ​notices​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​actually​ ​going​ ​to​ ​hardships​ ​by​ ​himself.
To​ ​many​ ​that​ ​may​ ​raise​ ​the​ ​question,​ ​Why​ ​is​ ​it​ ​that​ ​black​ ​men​ ​don’t​ ​express​ ​their​ ​feelings​ ​or
show​ ​emotions?​ ​According​ ​to​ ​an​ ​article​ ​written​ ​by​ ​psychologist,​ ​Josie​ ​Pickens,​ ​men​ ​are​ ​always
Sahor​ ​Jr​ ​2
expected​ ​to​ ​defend​ ​their​ ​honor​ ​and​ ​if​ ​any​ ​signs​ ​of​ ​weakness​ ​is​ ​shown​ ​then​ ​they’d​ ​lose​ ​respect
from​ ​others.​ ​According​ ​to​ ​Chris​ ​Paul,​ ​black​ ​women​ ​see​ ​men​ ​as​ ​protectors​ ​and​ ​providers​ ​so​ ​if​ ​a
man​ ​show​ ​his​ ​emotions​ ​than​ ​his​ ​woman​ ​would​ ​make​ ​him​ ​feel​ ​like​ ​less​ ​of​ ​a​ ​man.​ ​Men​ ​not​ ​being
able​ ​to​ ​show​ ​emotions​ ​is​ ​why​ ​men​ ​are​ ​more​ ​depressed.​ ​In​ ​a​ ​recent​ ​study,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​proven​ ​that​ ​black
men​ ​are​ ​five​ ​times​ ​more​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​kill​ ​themselves​ ​than​ ​a​ ​black​ ​woman​ ​and​ ​suicide​ ​is​ ​the​ ​third
most​ ​common​ ​cause​ ​of​ ​death​ ​amongst​ ​black​ ​men​ ​between​ ​ages​ ​15-...