This article is an autoethnography of the author's journey researching Black men. She highlights two critical incidents during the research process that aided in the formation of her identity as a leader. Drawing on Hill Collins' "Black Feminist Thought" the author also identifies key women leaders whose examples fueled her commitment to addressing issues of race and gender in Black communities. Implications of this autoethnography suggest the necessity for men to interrogate intersections of race and gender alongside women as partners in a communal struggle against oppression.