Black men are labeled and categorized as so many things except for what they truly are. We are stereotyped and treated with so much disrespect that people have normalized our pain and struggle. We are not the epitome of your perception. We are much more than you can conceptualize.

Although I have never been a Lakers fan nor did I appreciate the era of Los Angeles Laker domination throughout my teenage years, I can and will always appreciate Kobe Bryant for what he brought to the game of basketball and the world. He taught me that a mentality can change the outcome of everything you want to put your energy into. He showed me what persistence looked like on and off the court.

The threat of being murdered by the police is a very real concern for Black folk, particularly Black men although we know our women fear this too. So before I become a hashtag, a vessel in a casket, an obituary notice, I want this message to be clear: Nothing can justify the murder of Black bodies by police even if we are committing crimes or have committed them in the past. Police have more than just guns to de-escalate a threat. I don't care how dangerous the job is or how difficult it is. As educators, we are taught to use all of our resources to deescalate situations and support our students, even if they are “non-compliant”. If that's the case, go through more training and stay inside the police station until you feel you can do your job without danger being the excuse for everything.

Women do not need a man to tell her shit. Women can choose to be guarded, open, vulnerable, defensive, protective, and all of the above. They have every right to behave in these ways because of the history of interactions they have with the entire privileged male species. It's important for men to realize that women don't need our permission for anything.

Self-care encourages you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. This will allow you to convert that positivity into good vibes. Then you can transmit those good feelings to others. You cannot give to others what you don't have yourself. More importantly, you cannot give to others, without first giving to yourself and when you take the time to do that, people who truly love you will respect that and not label it as disloyalty.

Masculinity is toxic. There's no arguing that. How we raise our men will determine how much that toxicity will impact the world.

Black folk should never apologize for expressing their authentic selves. Too many people on this Earth ask for the filtering of our behavior. Fuck that! Be Blacker than you were yesterday. Then keep getting Blacker until you are buried and welcomed to the afterlife with your ancestors.

The fact remains that Black families are targeted in more ways than the one. This generations-long dance we've been having with life is dependent on our survival. Luckily, we've always been on beat.

We as men are often thrown into situations where we are supposed to behave as "men". I've never understood how masculinity was until I interacted with women more frequently. From this, I learned that the way masculinity is, damages and oppresses women with criticism of their lifestyle. I learned how to be better than that from examining the behavior of the men around me and choosing not to be actively toxic.