Black Male Feminist Research and Learning Community

Keon McGuire

To date, much of the research concerning Black (largely cisgender and heterosexual) male raced-gendered identities focuses on the ways Black men adhere to heteronormative and hegemonic expectations of manhood. This line of scholarship highlights the ways pre-college socialization, peer influence, and ecological contexts inform Black cisgender college menââ?¬â?¢s embodiments of masculinities. Theoretically, while scholars have suggested that there are productive possibilities for Black cisgender college men who engage with Black feminist perspectives, what is not known is how educators might pedagogically ââ?¬â?? through exposure to content and instructional decisions ââ?¬â?? disrupt misogynist or homophobic behaviors and attitudes that do exist. Moreover, most writings by Black men who engage and closely identify with Black feminism is reflective in nature and comes from Black men who are well into adulthood. While not inherently wrong, empirically speaking, we do not know if Black feminism holds the same possibilities for young adults as it does for more mature Black men. As such, the purpose of this study is to explore how pedagogical practices grounded in Black feminist thought might influence Black college menââ?¬â?¢s perspectives and actions concerning the intersection of patriarchy, racism, classism, and homophobia. Guided by participatory action and community-based research methodologies, this study will examine the experiences of Black undergraduate college men in a Black male feminist research and learning community over the course of one year. This project will make a significant contribution to the field by moving beyond simply critiquing heteronormative masculinities and instead offer theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical insights into transformative possibilities.

About Keon McGuire

Dr. Keon M. McGuire is an Assistant Professor of Higher and Postsecondary Education in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and a Faculty Affiliate with the School of Social Transformation. Dr. McGuire?s research agenda focuses on the status and experiences of minoritized students across postsecondary educational settings. Drawing from Africana and other interdisciplinary frameworks, Dr. McGuire examines how race, gender and religion shape minoritized college students? identities and their everyday experiences. Additionally, Dr. McGuire investigates the ways racism, sexism, and heteronormativity undermine the experiences of minoritized college students as well as they ways students resist and respond to such marginalization. His work has been published in venues such as The Journal of Negro Education, Journal of College Student Development, Teachers College Record, Men & Masculinities and The Review of Higher Education. Dr. McGuire holds a joint Ph.D. in Higher Education and Africana Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in History from Wake Forest University. Dr. McGuire is also a 2019 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Emerging Scholar.