Defending his body, protecting his spirit

: Young Black voices and Black male vulnerability in Bristol

Abstract

‘Defending His Body, Protecting His Spirit’ is an ethnographic exploration into lived experiences of anti-Black racism, shared by young people of African and Caribbean heritage living in Bristol. The theme of self-determination within the context of Black male vulnerability arises throughout these conversations, through the participants’ intuitive understanding of young Black men and boy’s increased proximity to jeopardy and racial violence. The experiences shared in this study reflect ways in which this proximity to jeopardy is experienced, navigated and processed by Black men and women, through an ethnography of visual diaries and semi-structured interviews. The invisibility of Black male vulnerability within discussions on gender and race is explored, as is the psychological role of humiliation and sexual violence towards Black men in policing. By centering the voices and lived experiences of young Black men in discussions on race and masculinity, this research contributes towards a more balanced understanding of the gendered mechanics, effects and impacts of anti-Black racism.

Date of Award	5 Dec 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Camilla Morelli (Supervisor) & Graeme Were (Supervisor)