Despite everything the black community goes through, we still prevail. The hashtag #BlackBoyJoy emerged to challenge the way we view black masculinity in society. So we had seven black men come in to tell us what black boy joy meant to them:
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Some thought it meant being able to express themselves without worrying about society's expectations.
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While others were still trying to figure it out.
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They brought up that in different cultures, affection between two black men isn't seen in a negative light.
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But they all agreed that black boy joy helped create a new narrative by challenging black masculinity and learning to be more open about their own fragility.
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We then surprised them with a photoshoot to showcase black boy joy with Jabari Jacobs, an LA-based photographer.
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And the photos were so moving:
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So keep spreading good energy, kings, because this world needs it.
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