Black Boy Joy Summit Boston

Our boys are not broken. They just need the right crowns. 👑👑👑
Tomorrow is for them — and for every parent fighting to give them what they deserve.

Join me and the incredible Lynne & Justin Hurdle-Price for the Black Boy Joy Summit Masterclass — a powerful, practice-driven experience designed for parents navigating boys who are still building the tools to manage conflict in their lives.

This isn't just a conversation. This is a calling.

Together, we'll explore three crowns:
👑 Crown of Insight — Understanding the world your boy is navigating
👑 Crown of Action — Practical tools you can use right now
👑 Crown of Awareness — Seeing your son fully, so he can see himself

Black Boy Joy isn't a hashtag. It's a commitment. And tomorrow, we commit together.

📅 Tomorrow | Register today - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/cQ1vEVhNTRGr0S4XPrsj5Q

🌸🖤 For every woman who looked into the eyes of a Black boy and saw the whole world —

Happy Mother's Day.

You are the reason he stands tall.
You are the reason he smiles boldly.
You are the reason he knows joy is his birthright.

To the biological mamas, the Godmothers, the surrogate mothers, the village women who stepped in and showed up — your love built something eternal.

From a proud Black Son: Thank you. We carry you with us everywhere we go. 💛

See you NEXT SUNDAY for our Live at 5 — because the celebration of Black Boy Joy never stops. 🙌🏾

I was watching Cross on Prime Video…

There’s a scene with Tavie that I can’t shake.

Detective Cross leans in and says:

“Everything you need to deal with bad stuff is already inside you. You hear me?
I can see it… superhuman strength. Superhuman.
You got courage. It’s in you.
And do you know why?”

Tavie looks back.

“Because mommy and daddy put it there.
They made you a superhero.”

…

I paused the show.

Because that wasn’t just for Tavie.

That was for me too.

And if I’m honest—
there are still moments where I need someone to remind me of what’s already inside of me.

Which made me think about the boys in our lives…

Because what I see—far too often—is them turtling.

They go quiet.
They shut down.
They pull back—not because they don’t care…

but because they’ve learned it’s safer.

Safer than being judged.
Safer than being misunderstood.
Safer than being wrong in a world that doesn’t always extend them grace.

So they:
– avoid eye contact
– give short answers
– hide their gifts
– carry pressure alone

And if we’re not paying attention…

we’ll mistake protection for defiance.

That’s the shift.

Because when a boy is turtling, he doesn’t need more pressure.

He needs:

Safety before solutions
Connection before correction
Consistency over criticism

He needs someone who will:

listen without fixing
ask instead of assume
celebrate when he speaks up
remind him—daily—who he is

Because confidence isn’t something we demand from our boys.

It’s something we build with them.

Moment by moment.
Conversation by conversation.
Relationship by relationship.

That’s why I created a simple playbook for parents, caregivers, and mentors—

Not to “fix” our boys…

but to help them come back to themselves.

If you’re raising, teaching, or loving a Black boy—

Don’t assume he knows who he is.

Remind him.
Reflect him.
Reinforce him.

Again.
And again.
And again.

Because the goal isn’t just for him to survive the world.

It’s for him to walk through it knowing he was built for more.

Hi All!

We will postpone our Live at 5 to later this week!

Will share details soon.

During our Live at 5 conversation this week, a mother asked a question that many parents are navigating:

*How do I help my son maintain confidence when he is corrected more often than girls in his classroom?*

When boys receive frequent correction, some begin to internalize the message:

“I am the problem.”

Instead of understanding:

“I made a mistake — and I can learn.”

In conversation with Arthur Thompson of ConnectionB4Correction, we shared several ways families can support boys in protecting their confidence while building accountability.

Some tools families can try:

Ask:
What do you think the expectation was in that moment?
What do you think the teacher needed?
What part would you handle differently next time?

Help clarify intention:
🖤 I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful.
🖤 I had a question.
🖤 I didn’t understand the directions.

Affirm strengths beyond correction:
🖤 I see how curious you are.
🖤 You care about fairness.
🖤 You have strong ideas.

Teach pause skills:
🖤 pause before responding
🖤 take a breath
🖤 raise hand instead of calling out
🖤 write thoughts down

Partner with teachers:
🖤 I want to understand classroom expectations so we can reinforce them at home.

Confidence grows when young people know mistakes are part of learning — not evidence of failure.

Share in the comments:
*What is something meaningful you needed to hear when you were growing up?*

Your words may help another family feel supported.

When Correction Impacts Confidence: Helping Black Boys Advocate for Themselves During our recent Live at 5 conversation, a mother asked a question that many families are quietly navigating:How do I help my son maintain confidence when h...

You were never meant to just make it through.
You were meant to grow, to feel, to rest, to ask questions, and to become whole.

Finding your way doesn’t require rushing or pretending you’re unbothered.

It means learning at your own pace, listening to your body, and knowing when to ask for support.

Joy isn’t denial.
Wholeness is knowing you’re allowed to be human while you’re becoming.

This space exists to remind you of that.
This is Black Boy Joy.