Reaching Up for Manhood: Transforming the Lives of Boys in America

by Geoffrey Canada

From a troubled youth navigating the mean streets of the South Bronx to an inspiring educational activist who evokes praise from the likes of President Barack Obama, Geoffrey Canada has made a remarkable personal journey that cemented his dedication to underserved youth. His award-winning work was featured in Davis Guggenheim’s documentary Waiting for “Superman,” and he has been hailed by media, activists, teachers, and national leaders. Michelle Obama called him “one of my heroes,” and Oprah Winfrey refers to him as “an angel from God.” Here, Canada draws on his years of work with inner-city youth and on his own turbulent boyhood to offer a moving and revelatory look at the little-understood emotional lives of boys. And who better for this task than the man Elizabeth Mehren of the Los Angeles Times calls “one of this country’s leading advocates for youth.”

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Psychology

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 1997

About the author

Geoffrey Canada is an African-American social activist. He is the author of Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America. Since 1990, Canada has been president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone in Harlem, New York.
He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College and a Master's degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Reviews

[Julia McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me reflect as an educator, a coach of educators, and as an aunt and hopefully future parent. I have many take-aways from this book, particularly the value of work experience for young boys, so they understand what it feels like to hold responsibility, to persevere through tasks they may not like, and to value the dynamics of professionalism and respect for authority. I also appreciated his promotion of encouraging men not to leave emotions and feelings locked inside, to give them that space to let it out and seek support. I will also personally reflect upon the reality that I don't truly know what's it's like to be a boy, whether impoverished in the city or someday my own son, and staying cognoscente of this in building trust and understanding and careful in my ways of defining what it means to be a man.

I also appreciated Canada's prizing of holding and maintaining high expectations. When an employee at his center broke a rule, he stuck to the rules and held that person accountable as he said he would from the start. And when that person learned from their mistake and followed through upon his consequences, Canada welcomed him back with open arms. This is something I see faltering at many schools, both accountability and creating a space for redemption.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geoffrey Canada nails it on the head when he deconstructs the prevailing machismo in the African-American male psyche. He blasts apart the false hero who is stoic, hardened, and belligerent – all for the sake of saving face when all you have left is your pride. Although Canada talks specifically about the destructive mentality of the angry poor black young man, his critiques on mass-marketing in “Self-Worth” and the fallacy of the male ego in “Sex” are broad enough to speak to just about every American of every color, gender, political and sexual persuasion. In a world in which men account for most violent and sexual crimes – not to mention organized warfare/terrorism – Canada dares to speak loudly for instilling compassion and caring in our most troubled of young men by though mentoring. A tall order, for sure, but a righteous one.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book after seeing Canada speak in early 2013. While I appreciate the intent and much of the content here, Canada's ideas have evolved a lot in the last 15 years, and I think he sounds even better now than he did then. If you appreciated this book, you really need to look up Canada's speaking schedule, because he's a lot more engaging in person, and has a lot of good ideas about education generally that don't fit into the framing of this book. With that said, any parent of a boy in our society really should read this at some point - not just inner-city kids, though that's obviously Canada's primary focus. I wasn't an inner city kid at all, but if this book had existed 10 years earlier and my parents had read it, I think they could've avoided making some fairly big mistakes later on.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book before Canada came to speak in my adopted community of Liberty City. The book touched me so deeply and the pain I feel for the state of America's boys is piercing. But while Canada relays the terrifyingly perilous situations boys of today encounter, I am heartened by the knowledge that what he prescribes, what boys need to thrive isn't rocket science nor is it out of our reach. We need to really focus on the inner lives of America's boys because they face real pain and conflict. We need men to step up and lead...and we need to be people of compassion to acknowledge the need and seek to address it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a more hope-giving book than Canada's earlier Fist Stick Knife Gun. He takes various issues facing male teens today and contrasts them with his own struggles growing up black and poor in the South Bronx. This book is aimed at parents more than teachers, but I still found it a worthwhile read. Even so, it's long on analysis but short on solutions. The chapter on work, though, is worth the price of the book. If only everyone could have someone in their lives as wise and loving as Canada's grandmother, the world would indeed be a better place.

[P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a professional development book aimed at librarians, but if you work in a library that serves people with children on the poverty level, you should read it. As another reviewer pointed out, there aren't prescribed solutions, but there is a lot of understanding, and many good anecdotes that demonstrate understanding and loving discipline.

I want Geoffrey Canada to be my dad! Don't be offended, Real Dad, you'd want him to be your dad, too.

[Victor McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Geoffrey's Canada second book. A book that talks about the transformation of the lives of the Boys in America. A good book.
He has a passion and a focus that is making a difference in the lives of the underserved in NY.

[Lee Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful, street-level picture. No holes barred accounts of life on the streets in New York. Geoffrey Canada grew up in this environment but is a powerful instrument now in helping young men grow up. The chapter on mentoring and the Epilogue is the powerful pinnacle of the whole book.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply laid out ideas on helping boys navigate adolescence

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book every parent of a book should read.

[Valicity F. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very inspirational read. He has some great insights on young men. We were lucky enough to hear him speak at the Educator's Summit this year. Brilliant man.

[Peter J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting read from Mr. Canada. Not as mind blowing as his first book but still worthwhile and heartfelt.

[Christopher Febles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a reason, and got more than bargained for. Every man should read this.

[Daniel Hutchins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advice from a Man to man point of view!