from Ms. MagazineNew Wave Man
Review by Layli Phillips
Black Male Outsider:
Teaching as a Pro-Feminist Man—A Memoir
By Gary L. Lemons
SUNY Press
WHEN I STOP TO THINK ABOUT the successes of feminism, one of the most under-recognized yet remarkable is its production of feminist men. Male feminists prove that the transformation of society is truly achievable and not simply some utopian pipe dream or theoretical abstract. Such men are still relatively few and far between, but as Lemons proves in Black Male Outsider, a groundswell is in the making. This growing wave of men who identify with feminism is, on the one hand, an artifact of a generation that has grown up with feminism. On the other hand, it is a demonstration of the life-changing power of feminist thought—in this case, black feminist thought—on not just women, but on human beings of any gender.
After the manner of bell hooks, whom Lemons names as the biggest influence on his feminist development, this memoir is a captivating mixture of “professional” and “confessional” approaches. This style allows Lemons to interweave theory and autobiography with the personal narratives of his students, mostly but not exclusively white and female, who have been transformed by their encounter with black feminist thought delivered through the unlikely voice of a self-styled “professor of feminism.” By confronting white students about white identity, students of color about “passing,” and all students about the intersections of racism and sexuality, Lemons stewards his classes through profound shifts in thinking and empathy. In the end, he emerges not only as one of the most influential black male feminists, but also as a “wounded healer” of no small magnitude.
After the manner of bell hooks, whom Lemons names as the biggest influence on his feminist development, this memoir is a captivating mixture of “professional” and “confessional” approaches. This style allows Lemons to interweave theory and autobiography with the personal narratives of his students, mostly but not exclusively white and female, who have been transformed by their encounter with black feminist thought delivered through the unlikely voice of a self-styled “professor of feminism.” By confronting white students about white identity, students of color about “passing,” and all students about the intersections of racism and sexuality, Lemons stewards his classes through profound shifts in thinking and empathy. In the end, he emerges not only as one of the most influential black male feminists, but also as a “wounded healer” of no small magnitude.
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Gary L. Lemons is Visiting Professor of English at the University of South Florida.
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