‘black boy joy’ radiates through this vibrant, laughter-filled photo series

The Black man’s body is heavily politicized in America and when you factor in the fact that toxic masculinity robs these men of genuine affection amongst each other and within themselves, there are few opportunities afforded for genuine ‘Black Boy Joy’. Photographer Mimi Mutesa wanted to create images of black men that challenged the heavy narrative attached to the Black male body – a narrative that often distracts from or prevents their joy.

Mutesa says “seeing male black bodies heavily politicized in America led me to create vibrant laughter-filled images of black men from across the Afro diaspora,” in hopes that she can show the world that Black Boys are also joyous beings. The models photographed in the series are Yaw Amman, Toussaint Cruise, Kwabena Agyei-Boahene, Alfield Reeves, Frank and Tobe Ndika.