The Black Man Can

Define Yourself, Redefine the World: A Guided Journal for Black Boys and Men: A Review

The Black Man Can Journal

Define Yourself, Redefine the World: A Guided Journal for Black Boys and Men (2012), penned by Brandon Frame of The Black Man Can, is a powerful journal specifically designed for Black boys and men to engage in critical thought and reflection.  In the 284 pages of the journal, Black boys and men have an opportunity to create a vision and plan for ameliorating their own lives in their own language.  Never has there been a personal journal produced solely for Black boys and men.  Through this journal, they are provided with space to express their thoughts on a range of issues and respond to essential questions.  Powerful quotations from accomplished Black men have been carefully selected and masterfully deployed by Brandon Frame to inspire critical thought.

An extensive body of empirical research has evinced that Black male students throughout the educational pipeline academically underperform all students.  In the face of this reality, tools must be available to militate against the factors that contribute to Black male academic underachievement.  Define Yourself, Redefine the World: A Guided Journal for Black Boys and Men is one of those innovative and valuable resources we need to help Black boys and men to progress academically, professionally, socially and personally.  The issues and questions they will confront in the journal offer them opportunities to face what they must do to make a significant change in their lives.

Too many Black boys and men are allowed to read and internalize negative narratives about themselves—primarily verbal and written narratives from Whites who do not wish them well.  Harper (2009) contends that Black males must have the opportunity to tell their own narratives in their own voices to offer meaningful and necessary counternarratives to the dominant extant narratives about them—the dominant narratives about them are mostly untrue, demeaning, and racist.  Through this journal, Frame empowers Black males with opportunities to write their counternarratives.

A growing body of professional literature demonstrates that mentoring Black male students leads to higher academic achievement and motivation.  Frame’s journal equips those who mentor with a resource that can be used to aid them in the process of transforming the lives of Black male students.  For those who mentor Black men, it gives them a tool to facilitate proper guidance and support.

Black fathers and sons now have a serious means through which to share and learn from one another.  I envision this journal helping to form Black male virtual and non-virtual communities and spaces where important ideas, challenges, problems, and solutions are discussed, shared, envisaged and implemented.  Additionally, I can see multifarious conferences and think tanks developing from those who read and use this journal.

I highly recommend this journal.  It can be purchased here: Purchase the Journal Here.  For only $15.00, you could save your own life and/or the life of a Black boy or man by buying this journal.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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The Revolutionary Paideia February 2011 Person of the Month: Brandon M. Frame

Each month, one person is selected as the Revolutionary Paideia Person of the Month. The person must embody the positive spirit of “unsettling, unnerving, and unhousing” people that founded this blog. When one considers that Black males face great attacks in virtually all spaces of life, it takes tremendous courage for one to actively fight against the demonization of Black males with nothing but positivity as a response. It takes a special person to refuse to allow the Black male’s image to be commodified, reified, and exploited. While Black men certainly have many haters out there, Brandon M. Frame is a Black man who is making a significant difference in America by evincing the positive contributions that Black males have made and make to America.

Brandon M. Frame, a graduate of Morehouse College, is a shining example of the great talent and great leaders that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have produced from their provenances to the present. He is the purveyor, Founder, and “Chief Visionary Officer” of The Black Man Can at http://theblackmancan.org/. He uses The Black Man Can as a vehicle to show the world the greatness of Black males. Black males across the nation and world are doing spectacular things and Brandon’s site presents us with constant examples of exceptional Black males. It’s important to have a site like his because some racist people try to promulgate and propagate lies about all Black males doing nothing but negative things. On many blogs, there’s so much foolish content on them. Revolutionary Paideia is tremendously pleased to see Brandon Frame use his blog to advance Black males in such a powerful way.

Brandon has a serious commitment to ameliorating academic achievement, especially the academic achievement of Black males. Extensive empirical research has evinced that Black male students academically underperform all students throughout the educational pipeline. Revolutionary Paideia is proud to see Brandon traveling across the country conducting workshops and other things to improve Black male academic achievement. Mr. Frame is a phenomenal educator. He and many others discovered just how talented of an educator he is while teaching at The Fessenden School.

The Black Man Can at http://theblackmancan.org is an endorsed and featured site of Revolutionary Paideia. Revolutionary Paideia is thankful for the indefatigable work that Brandon Frame does to offer solutions to the problems and challenges that Black males across the nation face. Read more about Brandon M. Frame here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5561448/interview_with_brandon_m_frame_the.html?cat=48.

It is with great pleasure that Revolutionary Paideia names Brandon M. Frame as The Revolutionary Paideia February 2011 Person of the Month. Congratulations!

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison