Boyhood to Manhood: Deconstructing Black Masculinity through a Life Span Continuum seeks to foster an open and honest discussion about the intersection of multiple identities found among Black males. The book explores topics such as what it means to be a Black male; race and ethnicity; health; [dis]ability; athletics; socioeconomic status; historical accounts; employment; religion and sexual identity. Many Black men share the experience of being members of cultures that are guided by strict gendered norms. These norms often require men to conform to «masculine» behaviors, which may increase their levels of risk-taking behavior, anxiety and fear of being ostracized should they fail to display the appropriate «male» skill sets. The ability to explore and embrace other possibilities for the ways that men can construct their personal and professional realities helps to enhance and broaden the ways in which men live their lives and seek opportunities. The qualitative, quantitative and historical data presented in this book provide new understandings of the experiences, roles and perspectives of Black men.

Contents: Patrick E. Turner: First-Year Experience: Engaging and Supporting Millennial Black Males During the First Year of College – LaGarrett King: Am I Not a Man and a Brother? I Am a Man – Darren D. Kelly: All Eyes on Me: High-Profile African American Male Student-Athletes’ Social Transition into Predominantly White Institutions of Higher Education – Richard J. Reddick/James Thomas: Brothers Gonna Work It Out: Black Male Academics Negotiating Mentorship, Fatherhood, and Partnerhood in a Community Context – Juanita J. Chinn/Andrea K. Henderson: The State of Health Among Black Men in the United States: Implications of Demographic Heterogeneity – C. Spencer Platt: Everyday Struggle: Critical Race Theory and Black Male Doctoral Student Experience – Stanley Ellis: Pimp or Pauper: An Autoethnography of Black Gangstaism’s Prevalence with College-Going Black Males at One Historically White Institution.