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:
View this video on YouTube
Some thought it meant being able to express themselves without worrying about society's expectations.
BuzzFeed Video
While others were still trying to figure it out.
BuzzFeed Video
They brought up that in different cultures, affection between two black men isn't seen in a negative light.
BuzzFeed Video
Advertisement
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.
BuzzFeed Video
We then surprised them with a photoshoot to showcase black boy joy with Jabari Jacobs, an LA-based photographer.
BuzzFeed Video
And the photos were so moving:
BuzzFeed Video
So keep spreading good energy, kings, because this world needs it.
BuzzFeed Video
