July 22, 2026
Research on college men and masculinities is an important area of interest in U.S. higher education, yet there is more to be learned about how Black men navigate early “lessons” about masculinities and their experiences and learning in college. Through semi-structured interviews with 40 Black men collegians, this study examined how students defined, understood, and negotiated masculinities, with emphases on the influence of their familial, societal, and campus contexts. Findings reveal that the men are in active processes of deconstructing masculinities, particularly traditional and hegemonic masculinities, and seek out opportunities to identify masculine ideologies that align with their sense of authenticity, which incorporates care, tenderness, and connections. This research provides an opportunity to investigate Black men’s negotiations of and rejecting (traditional) masculine façades.