Ever since African Americans have arrived in America, the evolution of African American masculinity has come a long way. Over the years, black masculinity has evolved concerning the way we carry our self and our sexuality. Masculinity is pertaining to or characteristic of a man or men. The masculinity of the African male has and still plays a major role in history. Since the first slave was brought to America from Africa, there masculinity had major role in their life as slaves. The way they looked concerning body features and physical presence determined whether or not they were "worth" anything. Slave owners were interested in slaves who looked as if they were fit for what was "hard labor" at that time. I would imagine that the natural African American build, along with a foreign language, different ways of communication, and the anger that had just been birthed between two cultures at the time was enough to intimidate. There had revolts going on while trying to enslave the African families and they continued throughout early America with slaves rebelling to signify and preserve their pride and masculinity. This was the beginning of the fear that African Americans had implemented on the other race.
This fear that African American males implemented would only get worse as we into the late 1970s, with hip hop music. Although times had changed and the environment wasn't quite the same, "white vs black hatred" was beginning to reach an all-time high. Political as well as community violence was taking place along with crack epidemic. Hip hop music had a major impact on not only the black community but African American masculinity. This impacted African American masculinity by artists making music about the things they witnessed and fell victim to. Popular culture made its mark with theatrical and musical statements like "Menace II Society" and "NWA", showing America how growing up as a black male truly was.
