The latest panel in a series of discussions surrounding
“Question Bridge: Black Males” was hosted by 10 members of RIT’s MOCHA (Men of
Color, Honor, and Ambition.) This panel, held Wednesday, October 29, brought
out many of Rochester’s youth and gave them an opportunity to share their
opinions with attendees.

After a short clip of the film, hosts Timothy Reed and Bernard
Rodgers posed the question, “Why is it so difficult for African-American men to
be true to themselves?” Each young man participating in the panel responded to
the question — below is an edited version of some of their answers.

Cory Ilo: “Where I was brought up, it was taboo to be smart, and eventually I just owned
my intelligence and formed an identity around it.”

YasmaniAguiar: “There are a lot of social constructs and
stereotypes; society puts pressure on all of us and it can be hard to step out
of that comfort zone. It is good to be surrounded by positive people that
support what you are doing.”

Ryan Nieves: “I grew up in a predominately black
neighborhood and later moved to a predominately white neighborhood; and I
struggled in school, trying to stay in my stereotype so people wouldn’t say, “He’s
trying to be white.” But as I saw people living out that stereotype I decided I
wanted better and I found my self-identity through success.”

Mike Valentin: “Stereotypes limit people. They could
be the greatest painter, but they won’t take a painting class because they
would be the only non-white and would be judged by both their white and black
peers.”

The question was offered to the audience, and one attendee
commented that the biggest need was support and encouragement: There is always
a race that is proud of themselves, and as an African American, the attendee didn’t see himself in mainstream media and couldn’t
relate to the messages they were sending.

CarvinEison posed a question to the panel: “How do you manage
or process hip-hop in a world where media is so pervasive?”

Bernard Rodgers: “We had people help us find a piece
of our identity beforehand, so we aren’t as impacted by it.”

Jaquan Outlaw: “There are the rappers who are sharing
their struggle to show that it is possible to make it out; they are sharing
their success. Then there are others who are just trying to make a living, they
should be called ‘entertainers.'”

Tim Reed: “Even if you took away hip-hop, nothing
would change because social media exists and young people will still emulate
what they see as ‘popular.’ If you look at pop music: it has the same messages,
it’s just as bad, and it reaches more people. But hip-hop is originally and predominately
black so it’s easier to blame for societal issues.”

Members of MOCHA asked the audience the final question: “Do
you think you are a product of your environment?”

One young woman answered that as an African-American female
that grew up in a poor and negative environment, there were a lot of
stereotypes and expectations. But there were younger children around her that
looked to her for guidance, and therefore she could not afford to be a product
of her environment.

Another gentlemen said that people were products of their
environments until they reach a certain level of consciousness, then they
become a product of the environment they create. As a father, he said, it was
his duty to create a positive environment for his children and regulate the
filter.

The next “Question
Bridge: Black Males” discussion will be held on Wednesday, November 5, at 7 p.m.
and will feature Llyod Holmes, The VP for Student
Services at Monroe Community College.

This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2014.