The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can't Find Good Black Men Book

"Sisters decry the shortage of good men and say there is no way she is settling for less than a good Black man. Not just a good one, but the BEST one: Denzel Washington. She, of course, has no idea what that means, what she wants or what a good Black man truly looks like." –from The Denzel Principle

The Denzel Principle is the belief that the perfect man—in the form of Denzel Washington—actually exists off screen and that all Black women can snag a Denzel of their very own.

So what does your very own Denzel look like? Well, he’s rich but earthy, handsome but not pretty, doting but not docile, tough but vulnerable, political but not radical, passionate but not hysterical, ambitious but not overbearing, well-read but not nerdy, manly but not macho, gentle but not feminine, Black but not militant, sexy but not solicitous, flirtatious but particular...and all that on cue and in proper measure.

Award winning reporter and cultural critic, jimi izrael offers to set the record straight – from a regular guy’s point of view. The Denzel Principle is straight talk on everything from "Ways Women Can Break the Hold of the Dizzle," "Ways to Attract Mr. Right," to "Ten Reasons to Love Ordinary Black Men" and so much more.

Library Journal

Izrael, billed as an award-winning reporter and culture critic, suggests that women are looking for a type of man that doesn't exist in real life, a mythical Mr. Perfect or Prince Charming or Sir Lancelot. These women are firmly caught up in what he calls The Dizzle, the dream of an ideal man, a sort of watered-down Denzel Washington who is long on charm and short on manliness. The idea that a fantasy man—not too tough, not nerdy, but just right—really does exist out there somewhere causes black women to set their standards so high that they are left disaffected, disappointed, or deceived. As for Izrael, he has no illusions of being perfect, describing himself as just a regular good guy with some honest, no-nonsense advice for black women, such as "Ways Women Can Break Hold of the Dizzle," "Ways To Attract Mr. Right," and "Ten Reasons To Love Ordinary Black Men." VERDICT All in all, Izrael discusses a serious topic with a frank, in-your-face manner and peppers his text with laugh-out-loud humor and a bit of irreverence. The results are worth considering for the self-help crowd.—Eboni A. Francis, Oberlin Coll. Lib., OH