Black Identity: The Struggle between Virility and Vulnerability Dennis Odhiambo College

Social identity as a significant construct towards acceptance and a sense of belonging or self-confidence is often susceptible to cultural expectations. Barry Jenkins’s film Moonlight which amalgamates themes of race, identity, sexuality, and masculinity follows the African-American protagonist Chiron in his pursuit for identity from childhood to adulthood. Jenkins captures the heartache and yearnings of Chiron who faces challenges as he navigates a tough Miami environment as a coy and vulnerable secretly gay youngster. As a young black man, he struggles to find a place and sense of belonging in a hyper-masculine environment while having to hide his true self and nature. Into adulthood, he embraces the macho persona in order to steer through society without prejudice and hardship while concealing his vulnerabilities. The film follows Chiron through the three stages in his life while addressing complex cultural issues regarding the dichotomy between masculinity and vulnerability in the black community. However, through the male characters, Jenkins aims to demonstrate the inseparability of the two constructs among black men despite cultural expectations. As the character Juan recounts a stranger told him once “in the moonlight,...