Boys into Men: Raising Our African American Teenage Sons

Abstract

Boys into Men: Raising our African American Teenage Sons, by Nancy Boyd-Franklin & A. J. Franklin, with Pamela Toussaint. New York: Penguin Books, 2001. 260 pp. $14.00, paper. Reviewed by Harriet R. Morrison, Mary Baldwin College. With an inordinate number of African American teenage males incarcerated on a daily basis, concern over the fate of the African American male in our society is not without merit. Statistics indicate that anywhere from 66-86% of youth incarcerated in correctional facilities are youth of color, so it comes as no surprise that parents of African American teenage sons are exploring ways to take their sons back from the streets. Nancy Boyd-Franklin and her husband A. J. Franklin, both psychologists and therapists with over 25 years of experience in helping parents face the challenges of raising African American sons, deliver a moving representation of the challenges our sons face and the struggle parents face in avoiding pitfalls as they try to navigate their sons through the teenage years. They outline approaches for parents to keep communication open so that they are able to offer help to their sons, intermingled with personal accounts of how they have survived the parent trap. The authors encourage us to tap into our strengths as a people to sustain us during difficult times. The purpose of the book is to guide parents through the myriad of obstacles their teenage sons face on their journey to manhood. Through personal accounts of their own trials and tribulations, the authors attempt to instill a sense of caring and hope that will empower parents to plot a course for their sons to lead them safely through the pressures of the adolescent years. The authors' strategies for solving problems, improving communication, and instilling a sense of racial identity are simple and effective. Organization of the book is significant in that it takes the reader through the ubiquitous temptations and pressures teenagers' face on a daily basis, and then suggests ways in which parents can appropriately manage these situations. Chapter 1 focuses on the challenges teenage boys face and the proactive stance parents must assume to provide a protective shield for their sons. Fostering racial identity is prevalent in this chapter as racism remains at the forefront of issues confronting young African American males. According to the authors, fostering a strong sense of racial identity will help parents build their son's self-esteem and prove a powerful force in his life. Chapter 2, `If We Stand Tall, It Is Because We Stand on the Backs of Those who Came Before Us': African American Families and the Manchild, expounds the virtues of strong family ties for the African American family. Extended families and families created out of a need for support or belonging all enhance the world in which the African American teenage male will thrive. Having a network of family members will contribute to his success and provide valuable options for him when he is ready to communicate his needs. Chapters 3 and 4 explore how spirituality, positive parenting, communication, and discipline can provide means for parents to instill in their sons a sense of who they are, and what they can become. Through love, open communication between child and parent, and discipline that is not punitive but instructive, our sons can build a foundation of confidence in self that will serve them later in life, and disable those street influences that would seek to control their souls. …