Kevin Ayebitorofa Itima

The tapestry of the black male is woven with an intricate pattern of strength, misery, courage, death, ambition, and self-hate. It seems that our plight has been as arduous as that of our forefathers that were shackled and stripped of their identity. In the present day these shackles exist only in our mind; all too often we are responsible for placing the limitations upon ourselves. However, even in our dimmest moments it is impossible to overlook the raw beauty and tenacity we have to survive through it all. These stories cover a fraction of who we are as African American males. They are a binding force that we can all identify with at some point in our lives. The extraordinary battle we have been subconsciously fighting has become a normal existence to us. This leaves a question that has yet to be answered: when will merely surviving no longer be enough?