Saida Grundy, Respectable: Politics and Paradox in Making the Morehouse Man

Saida Grundy unravels the elements of race, gender, and class at Morehouse College in this complex and thought-provoking work.While the trope of the "Morehouse Man" may be well known within the middle-and upper-class Black community, Grundy unpacks this concept as well as the importance that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) hold within the Black community for a general audience who may not be familiar with these institutions or their esteemed place.Morehouse was founded in 1867, a mere four years after emancipation in Atlanta, Georgia.It is the only single-sex HBCU for men, and thus a worthy subject of such an in-depth sociological analysis.Moreover, Grundy is uniquely positioned to take on this task as a graduate of Morehouse's "sister" institution, Spelman College, and a self-described "radical Black feminist" (33).Grundy helps the reader to understand that those who attend HBCUs are uniquely exposed to the full diversity and different ways of expressing Blackness in America.It is the conflicts posed by these various ways of being that are at the heart of her analysis.Grundy focuses on perceptions of African Americans and how these perceptions shape the experiences of students at Morehouse.She interviewed thirtytwo graduates from 1998 to 2002 about their experiences and how they believe their coming of age and perceptions of manhood were shaped by the institution.Grundy employs W. E. B. Du Bois' veil of racial subjectivity in her examination of identity formation and the institution's goals in shaping its students.As Grundy explains: "The veil structures the world into a one-way mirror in which the racialized subjects who live behind it can see out, but the racializing white subjects who live outside of it cannot hear, see, or properly recognize those within" (20).Respectable presents a rare exploration of how the veil functions within the race.Grundy posits that the education, culture, and idealized image at Morehouse College are structured to appeal to the white (and patriarchal) gaze.As Grundy establishes, the college devotes significant time and resources to building its image and brand and promoting the idea of the Morehouse Man.So, what is a Morehouse Man?He is first and foremost as made clear by the title, respectable.This is an extension of the term "respectability politics": the notion that historically marginalized communities are worthy of rights and privileges only if they look and behave in a particular way (8).The idealized respectable Black man produced by a Morehouse education is impeccably dressed, has excellent manners, is conversant and well-spoken in many subjects, is excellent in his profession, and is devoted to his family and the advancement of his community.While the above may all seem to be objectively positive attributes, Grundy is masterful in identifying the various ways that each of these values advances particularly patriarchal and capitalist ideals and rigid notions of acceptable masculinity.While the college draws upon the full spectrum of Black men from the US and