James, CarlHay, Brandon2018-07-102018-07-102016Major Paper, Master of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York Universityhttp://hdl.handle.net/10315/34739How do Black men in Toronto express their Black masculinity? How do these men develop a “mature” (Moore, 1991) Black masculinity when they have only been taught white supremacist capitalist patriarchy? In this major research paper, I will look at the ways Black masculinity and Black fathers are framed in North America as symbols of fear and hate whether it is through the media, government policy or society on a whole. I will look at what ramifications these symbols have on Black men in terms of their capacity to engage in selflove and love to others. This paper incorporates my learning from community engagement and representation of Black fatherhood and love from two community projects: W hat is Black Love in Toronto? (community discussion forums) and Black Men Loving: The Documentary. These two initiatives serve as initial steppingstones that have led me to writing this paper. Through this paper, I hope to gain and add new knowledge about Black masculinity and love that can be used as tools for liberation and critical hope that will support my future work with Black men and Black fathers. In this paper, I will engage with three of my learning components: (1) Black male identities, (2) Selflove / Love to others , and (3) Economics.enAuthor owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Major PaperEmploymentEconomic SustainabilityGender PerformanceSystematic Racism in MediaLove and Self LoveSymbolism and StereotypesRace and Space ClaimingCriminalizationHousingReintegration from PrisonBlack Masculinity