Is There Really A Shortage Of Good Black Men

Where are all of the good Black men? Are they dead, in jail or gay? Or is there more to it? Is There Really A Shortage Of Good Black Men? seeks to empower all African-American relationships. It strongly supports the significance of reinforcing all associated truths and dispels every myth created against the unification of Black men and women. From historical facts rarely discussed within homes and social settings, to easy-to-use techniques and methods, this book brings direct attention to a wide variety of issues related to the idea of there being a shortage of good Black men. Whether it is illegitimacy, infidelity, homosexuality, or abandonment, many can relate to these deep-seated topics. It also teaches techniques that will bring success to women longing to build a supportive foundation in quality relationships with worthy men before they begin their search.

"Sisters decry the shortage of good men and say there is no way she is settling for less than a good Black man. Not just a good one, but the BEST one: Denzel Washington. She, of course, has no idea what that means, what she wants or what a good Black man truly looks like." –from The Denzel Principle The Denzel Principle is the belief that the perfect man—in the form of Denzel Washington—actually exists off screen and that all Black women can snag a Denzel of their very own. So what does your very own Denzel look like? Well, he's rich but earthy, handsome but not pretty, doting but not docile, tough but vulnerable, political but not radical, passionate but not hysterical, ambitious but not overbearing, well-read but not nerdy, manly but not macho, gentle but not feminine, Black but not militant, sexy but not solicitous, flirtatious but particular...and all that on cue and in proper measure. Award winning reporter and cultural critic, jimi izrael offers to set the record straight – from a regular guy's point of view. The Denzel Principle is straight talk on everything from "Ways Women Can Break the Hold of the Dizzle," "Ways to Attract Mr. Right," to "Ten Reasons to Love Ordinary Black Men" and so much more.

The Black church has traditionally served as the unifying agent within the Black community. It was the locus of formation regarding morality training, spiritual awareness and social activism. It provided a safe space for African Americans to heal from the evil wounds of slavery, bigotry, Jim Crow, discrimination and racism. In recent years the role and place of the Black church in the life of African American people has begun to diminish. In no specific gender is this reality seen more clearly than in the absence of Black men from church pews. Across denominational lines, irrespective of geographical locations, backgrounds, and class, Black men are exiting the Black church at a rate that is both shocking and alarming. The key to restoring the Black church lies within the heart and hands of the Black man. This book seeks to offer a new strategy to reach, resource, and restore the Black man to his God-given position of prominence by facing the issues that have marred his identity.

Throughout the centuries, frustration, disappointment, and despair on both sides has created a great divide between black women and black men. In the world of relationships, it has become increasingly difficult for black women to make an emotional, spiritual, and psychological connection with black men. For many women, they don't even know how to begin to put on a different "hat" and often find themselves saying, "Why can't I find a good black man?" The truth of the matter is, many black women are sinking and drowning, according to many black men. On the other side of the spectrum there are black men who also have a considerable amount of scar tissue to deal with, not the least of which has been black women who are deceitful, disrespectful, high maintenance, materialistic gold diggers with "get paid" mentalities. The end result is that many black men have become frustrated with black women and have also chosen to cross color lines in unbelievably large numbers. For those black men, having a strong Nubian queen by their side has become nothing more than a pipe dream they used to have. For them, dating outside their race is no longer taboo and no longer creates the innate feeling of betraying black women. Sadly, a lot of black men all over the country have lost love and respect for many black women. A lot of black men feel many black women have no idea how to love them, care for them, or nurture their men. They no longer believe that black women are good homemakers nor can they keep a peaceful home. This is an epidemic that has spread all over America. It is my sincere belief that the thoughts and ideas outlined in my book will help answer numerous questions with which black women continue to struggle regarding their relationships with men--particularly black American men, such as: Why will he bed me but not wed me? Why have many black women lost the love and respect of black men? Why are black men continuing to cross the fence in alarming numbers? Why are black men becoming more hesitant to approach black women? Are black men really intimidated by successful black women? Why are so many black men disappointed, discouraged, and frustrated with many black women? Why do many black men see black women as too difficult and too complicated to deal with? Why are some black men making a vow to never date or marry another black woman ever again? Why are many black women hitting home runs in their careers but striking out in their relationships and marriages? These are some of the questions that are answered in this book. This is why it was so important for me to write this book. I want to inform black women in America what they need to do to help restore the faith of good-quality black men. I want black women to understand that I am writing this book as a wake-up call. If I do my job well, perhaps these words will sufficiently energize the mind, heart, and soul of the amazing creation God called woman to stimulate positive behavioral change in her--or at least provoke a little thought. Now, I know I'm treading on thin ice here, but trust me when I say this book is not about bashing black women in America. It's a book about reality and truth. More often than not, most of us do not like to hear the truth because it forces us to take a good look at ourselves, blemishes and all. The old adage, "The truth hurts," could certainly apply here. However, another old adage is also applicable: "The truth shall set you free." By writing this book, I truly hope to make it easier for black men and woman to come together as one. I want black women to understand that just because many black men have lost faith doesn't mean that we have given up on you. The reality is that sometimes we need to be challenged, and this book will definitely challenge many black women in America to take an introspective look at themselves. Keywords: African American Women, Black Women, Woman, Black Men, Relationship, Dating, Marriage, Sex, Self-Help

A provocative, candid study of the romantic relationships between white women and black men offers a psychological explanation for the phenomenon, as well as analyzing the influence of the entertainment industry, exposing stereotypes, and assessing the global implications of black and white relationships.

A distinguished Stanford law professor examines the steep decline in marriage rates among the African American middle class, and offers a paradoxical-nearly incendiary-solution. Black women are three times as likely as white women to never marry. That sobering statistic reflects a broader reality: African Americans are the most unmarried people in our nation, and contrary to public perception the racial gap in marriage is not confined to women or the poor. Black men, particularly the most successful and affluent, are less likely to marry than their white counterparts. College educated black women are twice as likely as their white peers never to marry. Is Marriage for White People? is the first book to illuminate the many facets of the African American marriage decline and its implications for American society. The book explains the social and economic forces that have undermined marriage for African Americans and that shape everyone's lives. It distills the best available research to trace the black marriage decline's far reaching consequences, including the disproportionate likelihood of abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, single parenthood, same sex relationships, polygamous relationships, and celibacy among black women. This book centers on the experiences not of men or of the poor but of those black women who have surged ahead, even as black men have fallen behind. Theirs is a story that has not been told. Empirical evidence documents its social significance, but its meaning emerges through stories drawn from the lives of women across the nation. Is Marriage for White People? frames the stark predicament that millions of black women now face: marry down or marry out. At the core of the inquiry is a paradox substantiated by evidence and experience alike: If more black women married white men, then more black men and women would marry each other. This book not only sits at the intersection of two large and well- established markets-race and marriage-it responds to yearnings that are widespread and deep in American society. The African American marriage decline is a secret in plain view about which people want to know more, intertwining as it does two of the most vexing issues in contemporary society. The fact that the most prominent family in our nation is now an African American couple only intensifies the interest, and the market. A book that entertains as it informs, Is Marriage for White People? will be the definitive guide to one of the most monumental social developments of the past half century.

Slaves to Fashion is a pioneering cultural history of the black dandy, from his emergence in Enlightenment England to his contemporary incarnations in the cosmopolitan art worlds of London and New York. It is populated by sartorial impresarios such as Julius Soubise, a freed slave who sometimes wore diamond-buckled, red-heeled shoes as he circulated through the social scene of eighteenth-century London, and Yinka Shonibare, a prominent Afro-British artist who not only styles himself as a fop but also creates ironic commentaries on black dandyism in his work. Interpreting performances and representations of black dandyism in particular cultural settings and literary and visual texts, Monica L. Miller emphasizes the importance of sartorial style to black identity formation in the Atlantic diaspora. Dandyism was initially imposed on black men in eighteenth-century England, as the Atlantic slave trade and an emerging culture of conspicuous consumption generated a vogue in dandified black servants. “Luxury slaves” tweaked and reworked their uniforms, and were soon known for their sartorial novelty and sometimes flamboyant personalities. Tracing the history of the black dandy forward to contemporary celebrity incarnations such as Andre 3000 and Sean Combs, Miller explains how black people became arbiters of style and how they have historically used the dandy’s signature tools—clothing, gesture, and wit—to break down limiting identity markers and propose new ways of fashioning political and social possibility in the black Atlantic world. With an aplomb worthy of her iconographic subject, she considers the black dandy in relation to nineteenth-century American literature and drama, W. E. B. Du Bois’s reflections on black masculinity and cultural nationalism, the modernist aesthetics of the Harlem Renaissance, and representations of black cosmopolitanism in contemporary visual art.

Exploring the Psychosocial and Psycho-spiritual Dynamics of Singleness Among African American Christian Women in Midlife examines the complexities and realities of singleness in individual, familial, and communal contexts. These realities that are emotional, psychological, spiritual, sexual, and social are narrated by three African American women who have reached a critical midlife juncture and they give first-hand accounts of what it means to be Black, single, and Christian in the 21st century. This book provides a much-needed discourse on single African American women and the challenging social, mythical, sexual, and religious perceptions that are endemic to this specific population of women. Moreover, Exploring the Psychosocial and Psycho-spiritual Dynamics of Singleness Among African American Christian Women in Midlife gives insight and voice to the many pastoral concerns of single African American Christian women in the Black church and is purposeful in helping them navigate to a place of health and wholeness.