What does society mean when it attaches the labels masculine or feminine to men and women, and why have both words come to represent something negative and unappealing. I moderated a very enlightening and thoughtful conversation on gender stereotypes with Sarah Sophie Flicker (activist, filmmaker and National Organizer of the Women's March), Aminatou Sow (host Call Your Girlfriend podcast and founder Tech LadyMafia) and Jimmie Briggs (founder Man Up) all of whom shared some powerful ideas.
"We're paying a lot of attention to empowering girls but we also need to focus more on how we raise our boys, their role models and the media they're presented with. There's nothing out there for boys."
"Masculinity has come to mean hurt, anger and suppressed emotions."
"Historically black women haven't been allowed to be dainty and 'feminine'. We don't fall neatly into those boxes."
It's only when we are able to share our stories that we can step away from our preconceived ideas and truly listen. Thank you to every who participated.
