Code Switch Are Black men facing a mental health crisis, a patriarchy crisis, or both?
Apr 29, 2026
Mark Anthony Neal, a scholar of Black masculinity and fatherhood, joins to unpack rising lethal incidents involving Black men. He probes how patriarchy, misogyny, and mental health intersect. Short takes cover media framing, community silence, accountability, and visions of a more caring, emotionally available model of Black manhood.
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Media Sympathy Often Sidelines Victims
- Media often centers sympathy for accused Black men instead of mourning victims first.
- Mark Anthony Neal argues we routinely protect prominent Black men, which sidelines Black women and children's suffering in coverage.
Patriarchy Frames Some Killings As More Than Mental Illness
- Patriarchy and misogyny can function like a public health issue that shapes violent choices.
- Neal connects patriarchal entitlement to viewing partners as owned, not just to individual 'snapping' or mental illness.
Patriarchy Manifests Locally In Domestic Violence
- Black men have limited access to structural patriarchy, so patriarchal power shows up more in domestic spaces.
- Neal points to rhetorical violence like silence and emotional dismissal as localized manifestations.