First off, I am not the biggest American football fan. I
don’t have a team and I almost never watch a game; but thanks to social media I
have joined the masses and become a follower of the drama surrounding Odell
Beckham Jr. I was versed in his social media posts and touchdown dance moves
well before I knew anything about his athletic stats.
It seems like I can’t scroll through my feeds each day
without a new posting or editorial about Mr. Beckham and perceptions of his
sexual orientation. Is he or isn’t he……..? Looking at the social media postings
and activities that are often referenced as being his “questionable” behavior triggered
reflections of my social work practicum working with a group of middle school
boys in Washington, DC.
I was assigned to a middle school serving a predominantly
low income African American community as a special education social worker. As
an eager social work student with a strong background in youth and education
work, I was an attractive candidate for the school to pair with a group of
black 7th and 8th grade males. Many of my young men had
been retained multiple times, had individual education plans (IEP’s) and were
often truant and spent very little time participating in a classroom lesson.
As I began to strengthen my relationships with these young
men and have breakthrough moments, one consistent theme continued to replay.
During group sessions when we discussed their behavior they often referenced
back to the pressure they felt by family and community, and particularly older
men in their lives, to “Man Up”, be strong and not act like a “Punk”. Whether
at home or navigating life in and around the community, at 12, 13 and 14 years
of age they felt like they had to compete with grown “Men” for their perceived
masculinity and the approval of others. Not being “hard” or hyper masculine
wasn’t an option for them, if they were going to survive. They were not
empowered to explore their interests, passions, and expressions if they
challenged others norms and sense of self.
What does this have to do with Odell Beckham Jr.? As I read
the gossip and commentary, a very similar message resonates. How dare Odell
Beckham Jr. be confident and empowered enough to be free with his expression.
He must be gay or bisexual, “something has to be up with him”.
Now, he could be gay, bi, straight or any other identity
that fits his existence, but that isn’t really the issue. The reality is his
freedom triggers others internalized oppression and repression. His expression
challenges their acceptance of societies labels of what is male and masculine.
Because they have accepted the script and playbook given them, something must
be different and “special” about him. Well, there is something special about
him. He dares to be himself.
If we truly believe in the empowerment of our
young men of color and the creation of opportunity, then let’s start by not
limiting their identities and possibilities. If we want the Odell Beckham Jr.’s
of the future to believe that they can be anyone they desire and achieve any
dream they have, let them dream and explore life; and for goodness sake, let the boy
dance!
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