The Resistance is Always Black and Queer: Leadership as Resistance in Black Male Initiative and Men of Color Mentorship Programs

Abstract

Defining leadership and student leader identity often brings a complex and complicated reality for Black students in higher education settings. Leadership identity, models, and practices are often grounded in Whiteness, heteronormativity, and cis-heteropatriarchy, which causes complex ways of understanding leadership. Thus, the purpose of this research is to explore how Black gay, bisexual, and queer men (BGBQM) redefine leadership as resistance and nuanced activism within Black male¹ initiatives (BMI) and Men of Color (MoC) mentorship programs, given their Blackness and queerness identities. Using arts-based research (ABR) methodology, this research explores the following research questions: (1) How do BGBQM define masculinity and queerness and (2) how do BGBQM experience and enact nuanced activism in challenging heteronormativity and cis-heteropatriarchy in BMI and MoC mentorship programs? Findings are presented in a podcast script format to illuminate how these men center queerness and femininity, while challenging hegemonic masculinity and heteronormative notions of leadership engagement and development within BMI and MoC mentorship program settings.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ The term male is commonly used within Black male initiative programs. As male is a term used for sex characteristics, this term refers to descriptions of gender within this manuscript.

² Photos were given permission to be presented in this manuscript from the participants per informed consent.

³ Photos were given permission to be presented in this manuscript from the participants per informed consent.