Overview of Are Black men facing a mental health crisis, a patriarchy crisis, or both?
This Code Switch episode examines a series of recent tragedies involving Black men who killed intimate partners, children, and other family members, and asks whether these acts should be understood primarily as a mental health crisis, a patriarchy crisis, or both. Through a conversation with scholar Mark Anthony Neal, the episode argues that the media and public often center the humanity or suffering of the men involved while minimizing the victims—especially Black women and children—and that the broader issues of misogyny, patriarchy, and violence inside Black communities must be confronted alongside mental health needs.
The Core Argument
Lead with the victims, not the perpetrators
Mark Anthony Neal says the first response to these incidents should be grief and accountability for the women and children who were killed or harmed, not immediate attempts to contextualize or excuse the men.
- He pushes back against framing these killings as simply a man “snapping.”
- He argues that too often Black communities and the media are more protective of prominent Black men than attentive to the victims they harm.
- He says violence against Black women is routinely treated as an afterthought.
Mental health matters, but it’s not the whole story
The episode does not dismiss mental health, but insists it cannot be separated from patriarchy and misogyny.
- Black men can be both victims of racism and perpetrators of harm.
- Some violence may be tied to untreated mental health issues, but not all of it.
- Neal stresses that some men choose violence because they feel entitled to power and control over women and children.
Patriarchy shows up in specific, local ways
Neal argues that Black men often do not have access to patriarchy in the same way white men do, but they can still enact it in intimate and domestic spaces.
- Through control, silence, dismissal, and physical violence.
- Through rigid ideas of masculinity that discourage emotional vulnerability.
- Through the socialization of boys to express anger but suppress other emotions.
Key Themes and Insights
Violence against Black women is under-discussed
The episode highlights a long-standing pattern: violence against Black women often does not receive the same national attention as comparable cases involving white women.
- Black women and children are frequently left out of the center of the story.
- The episode notes that shame and “don’t air dirty laundry” culture have historically made abuse harder to confront in Black communities.
- The conversation connects domestic violence, sexual assault, and broader community safety.
Black masculinity is tied to emotional restriction
Neal describes how many Black boys are raised with very limited emotional outlets.
- Anger is often the only emotion that is socially accepted.
- Vulnerability is treated as weakness or a threat to masculinity.
- This emotional narrowing can contribute to unhealthy or destructive behavior.
Therapy is important, but access is unequal
The episode makes a strong case for therapy as one tool for healing and prevention.
- Neal shares that therapy helped him become a better partner and father.
- But he also notes that many Black men do not have access to therapy, or don’t feel socially safe admitting they need it.
- Spirituality and pastors can be supportive, but they are not substitutes for mental health care.
“The New Black Man”
Neal revisits his older idea of “the new Black man” as an aspirational model.
What that looks like
A “new Black man” is:
- Comfortable in his own skin
- Able to be vulnerable
- A caregiver as well as a provider
- Emotionally present with partners and children
- Secure enough not to see queer or trans identities as a threat
Why it matters
This vision rejects narrow, patriarchal definitions of manhood and offers a healthier alternative to the “strong Black man” myth.
- It emphasizes emotional honesty.
- It centers caregiving and listening.
- It expands what masculinity can be.
Healing and What Comes Next
Neal argues healing will not come from public discourse alone.
What healing could look like
- More intimate conversations among Black men about fear, harm, accountability, and growth
- Community spaces that include men across class and life experience
- Honest discussions of patriarchy as a condition Black men are “in recovery” from
- A willingness to name violence clearly, without excusing it
A key takeaway
Neal’s central message is that this is not an either/or issue.
- Black men can need mental health support and be held accountable for misogynistic violence.
- Addressing one without the other leaves the deeper problem intact.
Notable Quote
“It can’t be an either or… It’s always a both and.”
He also offers a memorable framing for patriarchy:
“We’re in recovery from patriarchy.”
Bottom Line
This episode argues that recent cases of Black men killing women and children should not be reduced to mental illness alone. The deeper story includes patriarchy, misogyny, emotional suppression, and the routine devaluation of Black women’s lives. The show ultimately calls for accountability, therapy, community-based healing, and a broader reimagining of Black masculinity.