Pitching Black Boy Joy
by Nathan Piggott
About Black Boy Joy
Black Boy Joy is a children’s anthology series edited by Kwame Mbalia containing a collection of stories, poems, and comics from 17 acclaimed black male and non-binary authors. As Black boys in the United States are often vilified for showing emotions and are constantly shown negative portrayals of black men in the news, Black Boy Joy is an important book that allows black boys to see themselves in a positive light, vulnerable, happy, and free. As Mbalia explains "he envisioned a book that said, 'We see you when you're at your happiest. We see you when you're smiling at something absolutely ludicrous'" (Williams).
Why Does This Book Matter?
Black Boy Joy is an effective window as well as a mirror for young black individuals. Black boys and girls are subjected to both underrepresentation and misrepresentation in every form of media. News stories about people of color are often negative and violent. Black men and women in the media are mostly shown playing sports, dancing, and rapping. The media tends to exaggerate certain aspects of black culture while erasing other aspects. A book like this, which includes stories of hope and happiness as well as grief and loss, allows the readers to see their culture and life in a new light; the reader can peer through the window of a young black individual who is entirely and proudly themselves, while using it as a mirror to reflect their own feelings and accept who they truly are (Williams).
As Kwame Mbalia explained in an interview with The Washington Post he wants "Black boys to pick up his anthology and see themselves reflected in the stories." He also "wants to inspire young Black students to tell their own stories - stories that have always existed but rarely told" (Williams).
Video: What is Black Boy Joy?
This video features the editor of Black Boy Joy. Kwame Mbalia and other "critically acclaimed authors" discuss what Black Boy Joy means to them (What is Black Boy Joy).
"What is Black Boy Joy?" Youtube, uploaded by Random House Kids, 26 July 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpu4oa1jtUs. Accessed 3, April, 2022.
Source:
Williams, Keishel. "Bestseller 'Black Boy Joy' highlights bright but overlooked moments of Black boyhood." The Washington Post, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/black-boy-joy-jason-reynolds-kwame-mbalia/2021/09/17/9cbfc69a-17e2-11ec-b976-f4a43b740aeb_story.html. Accessed 18 Apr. 2022.