These Men Described What Black Boy Joy Meant To Them And It Was Beautiful

    "I'm able to express myself in any way I see fit."

    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

    BuzzFeedVideo / Via youtube.com

    Some thought it meant being able to express themselves without worrying about society's expectations.

    While others were still trying to figure it out.

    They brought up that in different cultures, affection between two black men isn't seen in a negative light.

    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.

    We then surprised them with a photoshoot to showcase black boy joy with Jabari Jacobs, an LA-based photographer.

    And the photos were so moving:

    So keep spreading good energy, kings, because this world needs it.