black patriarchy isn’t pro-black, you’re just trying to control black women

By Asher Primus*, AFROPUNK Contributor

Many pro-black groups are turning into Men’s Rights Activists. Rather than spreading good knowledge on forgotten African kingdoms, I see more and more black conscious people discussing their fantasies of a black patriarchy. The conscious community’s support is for a black nation that has its own businesses, government and code of conduct. In theory, half of the ideas seem to be reasonable, such as the need for more black independence in nationalism and business, but the “code of conduct” is stressed more than anything, and that is where they lose me.

This “code of conduct” ends up being nothing more than slut-shaming tactics towards black women. The men in the conscious community do not give concrete advice on how to start a business, but they can tell their follows how to run a woman as if she is nothing more than a servant or child. They use shaming tactics like misquoted statistics aimed to blame black women for being single mothers and for poverty in the community, or posts about how they think black women are too egoistical for black men.

Prior to writing this article, I ran across a post by a so-called pro-black economics expert. He claims he has a master plan to end white supremacy. He even made a documentary on gentrification. But rather than build a platform to offer affordable homes for black people, he spends his time berating and bullying black women.

He too wants a black patriarchy that will restrict black women’s sexuality because he believes they do not deserve marriage if they are body positive, feminists, or have tattoos or children from a previous relationship. Many conscious men on social media like him blame black women for the supposed lack of a patriarchy within the black community. They are jealous that other races of men have power over their women. Black men tend to idolize the Asian and Indian communities the most as it is stereotyped, at least in the conscious community, that their women are submissive and value men.

These conscious men use MRA talking points to silence the struggles of black womanhood. The cyber-bullying is usually towards black women who date interracially, reject their advances or do not agree with their perspectives. The harassment has escalated to get famous author Sophia A. Nelson involved to defend black women on social media. She has even started a petition for YouTube to terminate any offensive and exploitative material that endangers the lives of black women.

The petition reads:
“Black women and girls are not seen as human. As valuable or as worthy as their Caucasian sisters, or other women NOT of color. This is an epidemic that allows black men to create degrading, harassing, unlawful, and menacing YOUTUBE channels and videos harassing black women, girls and particular abuse is heaped on black women who are professionals, single and successful. This culture of assault on black women feeds into why the police and authorities do not care about our girls when they go missing or traded in sex trafficking. It must stop. We are mobilizing black women and all who care.”

*Asher Primus is a graduate of Augusta University majoring in Communication with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. While in Augusta University, they were a part of Black Student Union, The Initiative, Thinktools Inc., and Women’s and Gender Studies Association. Their hobbies are video gaming and blogging.