Inventing failure: Being Black and Male in liberal arts graduate programs such as philosophy

Research on Black men’s experience in liberal arts graduate programs such as philosophy are practically non-existent. The emphasis liberal arts disciplines place on theory often allows negative stereotypes and pathological assertions about Black men to remain unchallenged. Drawing from an analysis of Black men depicted by the Moynihan Report as well as contemporary educational literature, this article argues that Black males experience institutional and inter-personal forms of misandric aggression. The effect of these dehumanizing caricatures towards Black men results in negative physiological and psychological outcomes. The author advises Black men to recognize the anti-Black misandry of liberal arts disciplines and consider global job markets more open to exploring the experiences of Black men.