Advancing a more suitably complex narrative will contribute to national and international conversations, scholarship, and higher education curricula, as well as potentially inform public policies focused on Black men and their communities.

Such an entity based in the unique landscape that Morehouse provides as the only higher education institution dedicated to educating primarily Black men is especially critical now, given the urgent need to create inclusive curricular and programmatic offerings and scholarship/creative work encompassing the humanities, humanistic social sciences, and artistic frames not always connected with understandings of Black men.

BMRI goals include: 

1. Provide a highly visible platform by which faculty, students, and the broader community may engage and, if necessary, counter-narratives and policies that do not attend to the full breadth of experiences and perspectives reflected in an intersectional orientation to Black masculinities.
2. Support Morehouse faculty in developing new, innovative courses and reorienting existing courses to focus on Black men in ways that remain relevant but may benefit from updated pedological approaches and theoretical frameworks. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a Black masculinities studies minor for residential Morehouse and Atlanta University Center (AUC) students and an online program for both traditional and non-traditional students.
3. Collaborate with AUC partner institutions, the broader higher education community, and nonprofit and public organizations to create learning experiences that enhance and complement BMRI’s efforts.
4. Support faculty and student scholarship and creative work that contribute to the field of Black masculinities studies

BMRI focuses on the intersection of culture and social justice by contextualizing Black masculinities in all their manifestations, both within and outside of the U.S. An expansive view of Black masculinities means attending to intersectionality with respect to gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, being transgender, and other statuses that inflect the lived experiences of Black men and their communities. Therefore, the Institute also provides a context for engagement of local, national, and global scholars in meaningful dialog about expanding notions of Black masculinities and Black men’s lived experiences beyond a heteronormative, patriarchal frame

Intellectual Engagement

BMRI promotes intellectual engagement that is grounded in humanities, humanistic social sciences, and creative
arts. Such engagement will manifest by advancing open intellectual discussion across disciplines and scholarly communities. Multiple views exist on how Black masculinities find expression, influence or are influenced by aspects of culture, or merit consideration when discussing pressing social issues. BMRI will provide a space for those views to engage in dialogue with the express purpose of promoting a richer understanding of Black masculinities.

Social Justice Orientation

BMRI has a clear, public, social justice orientation that aligns with Morehouse’s commitment to advancing the lives of Black men and the African American quest for social change more broadly. BMRI will not only focus on production of scholarly and creative work, but also seek to influence policies that impact the lives of Black men and youth and, by extension, the entire Black community. This social justice focus may manifest through work with nonprofit agencies, government bodies, private businesses, and other institutions committed to addressing inequities affecting Black

men and their communities. BMRI will also ensure that learning about Black masculinities utilizes civic engagement, service learning, and participatory research methods that can both educate students and lend support to address community needs.

Collaboration

BMRI’s emphasis on intellectual engagement and social justice means that it will be in dialog and seek collaborative opportunities with other entities focused on advancing more complex and nuanced understandings of gender and sexuality.

Outcomes

The work of the Black Men’s Research Institute is designed to bring forth several important outcomes:

• Clear, Prominent Voice Addressing Issues/Experiences Related to Black Men and Their Communities: We anticipate that BMRI will express a voice on Black male experiences that may not come through as clearly as would happen with the benefit of Morehouse’s prominence. We envision media outlets and policy practitioners paying attention to BMRI produces or has to say. In this way, we believe BMRI will offer a more nuanced way of understanding Black men’s experiences.
• Contribution to Morehouse Faculty and Student Impact on Social Policy and Perspectives Relevant to Black Men: Morehouse will be able to support scholarship, creative, policy, and curricular initiatives that focus on Black men and their communities. We anticipate that several students, faculty, and individuals/organizations outside of Morehouse will use teaching/scholarship and social justice policy funding to foster change that moves perspectives and policies toward richer, more complex considerations than currently happens.
• Enhanced Reputation for Morehouse and Its Focus on Social Justice Issues Affecting Black Men: Morehouse’s reputation as a locus for pedagogical, scholarly, and policy discussions about Black men will expand. Currently, Morehouse benefits from its legacy of producing influential alumni and dedication to educating Black men and men of color. We anticipate that BMRI will bring more attention to the work that Morehouse faculty and others are doing and increase the likelihood of students pursuing social-justice-oriented activities after they graduate.