I think it is bigger than that. I think that (1) A lot of young brothers have bought into a lot of the sexist (obvious and subtle) ideas of past leaders, and (2) the idea perpetuated in the media and other places of that sexually promiscuity and prowess are inherent and even celebrated in the black man - therefore it is "ok".

This weekend I was/still am reading Killing Rage – Ending Racism by bell hooks. In that she speaks a lot about how our past leaders that you name supported patriarchy and viewed is as essential to uplifting the black race. What she claims they did not understand is that patriarchy and sexism are pillars right next to racism in this system of oppression. She also made an interesting point of the problem of the ideas of the integrity black masculinity in with the integrity of the race as being interchangeable.

So you have these brothers that come to school and take some classes, particularly those of African American studies and don’t take the time to critically read these works and understand that although these men had revolutionary visions they were not perfect and their support of patriarchy was a flaw. Then they want to try and emulate that in their relationships with women. Their theories become a patchwork of ideas from romanticizing polygamy to putting the black women on a sexist pedestal.

I know you probably met (and I am stereotyping here though I have ran across many) those vegan brothers with the locks, usually longwinded and arrogant. Intelligent as hell and always reading up on black people, politics, etc. Their rap consists of “…once the Black woman understands her place as the mother of this and the bearer of that….” But I think that is bullshit because is just perpetuating the idea of women’s place in uplifting our people as only the producer of children, as only the nurturer, as only a sexual and servile being, and we should just take pride in that. Our position is just uplifting from in the bedroom and behind the stove.