Men of color discuss racism, life issues

Topics including advocacy for equality, sexual behavior, stress management and academic frustrations go on the table for students attending the weekly Men of Color meetings.

“It is not therapy,” said Napoleon Peoples, discussion leader and director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. “An ideal group is eight to 12 people.”

Although Peoples earned his doctorate in psychology, he said he organized the weekly sessions because he wants men of color to evaluate their issues.

Men of Color

5 p.m. Thursdays
Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
Student Commons
Second Floor
All men of color invited.

“It is designed to offer a safe environment for male students of color to have an opportunity to explore issues relevant to them,” he said.

Thus, Peoples encourages Asian, Latino, African-American, Indian and African males to spend a hour in his office Thursday evenings.

There he mediates discussions while the male participants generate the topics. Peoples said some discussions have been highly spirited but have never been volatile.

Men attend the meetings for different reasons.

“I was just coming by to speak with Dr. Peoples, and he told me to wait for the discussion, and he told me that I’d get a benefit from it,” said Maker Jok, a group participant.

Raymond Tademy, another group participant, offered an alternate reason for joining the Men of Color meetings.

“I’m working on my doctorate in social psychology, and I said let me go out and do some research,” he said.

Though some ethic minority males support the meetings, others show skepticism.

“I would be interested in attending a meeting,” said Mike Green, a sophomore in the College of Humanities and Sciences. “I don’t know if it will be beneficial because all the issues will not hit us all at the same time.”

Nahom Girma, a sophomore majoring in business, suggested an attendance change for the meetings.

“It should be open for everybody,” he said.

But to one ethnic minority student, the group should also discuss issues relating to employment.

“I think that when it comes to financial (and) occupational (issues)that is harder for any minority because there are so many stereotypes out there,” said Kyle Parker, a junior psychology major. “If you work at a store and you act like a typical black male, then they are going to feel that you think everyone is against you and that you are always angry.”

Nonetheless, Peoples said past participants reported that the discussions were a worthwhile experience.

“People in the past have reported back to me that they learned a lot,” he said. “It helped them to see that they weren’t just going through issues by themselves. It helped them to better understand who they were in context to other men of color.”