b'#blackboyjoy: Are We Comfortable with Seeing Black Men Express Emotion in America?Jordan Bryant, Student, African American StudiesFaculty Sponsor: Dr. Tameka HobbsThroughout numerous instances in time, the Black man has been told that he cannot show happiness that he must remain stern and maintain a serious figure. It has been shown through the imagery of Frederick Douglass, W.E.B Dubois, Malcolm X, and others that it is a must the Black man continues to show moments of seriousness, even in darkest times. Although the notion comes from moments in time where Blacks as a whole were more oppressed than now, a stern attitude has always been preferred from Black men in the Black community.An argument that has been had, primarily from Black women, is that Black men do not display enough emotion and that they put too much weight on their shoulders. Constantly displaying moments of seriousness and anger can take a toll on numerous things, especially when it comes to lifestyle. With caricatures like the Nat and the Brute, Black men have always been seen as dangerous and temperamental. It is because of those stereotypes that the media is quick to display a picture of a Black man looking his angriest in a negative situation rather than his happiest.My argument when presenting this topic is that Black men should not only display other emotions such as happiness and sadness among others, but also be comfortable expressing these emotions at any point in time. Having to uphold a constant serious mood, can take a toll on the Black man. It hinders the opportunity to be aware of his true feelings. With the movement of #blackboyjoy, the goal is to show imagery of Black men expressing their happiness in times that have been deemed unacceptable to do such things. With Black men being aware that it is alright to express their emotions, this can prevent the possibility of Black men becoming depressed.Men as a whole are told to be tough, and #blackboyjoy is a movement that shows it is alright to express the weaker sides of yourself. Through my presentation, I will explain what #blackboyjoy is, while also tackling the depression epidemic among Black males in America and how they as a people can help make a difference and get more of their peers to talk about the subject. With society becoming more based on technology, they have more of a platform to express the acceptance of emotional expression. Together, they can start the shift and get away from the thug attitude and help Black men become more comfortable not only around their peers but within themselves as well.14'