Our greatness deserves to be applauded. Our actions need to be amplified. Our success should be shared! Most importantly, our voices demand to be heard!
Black men (and boys!) offered an abundance of memorable moments throughout the year! From making some serious coins to celebrating major milestones, #BlackBoyJoy truly exists.
In honor of the #BlackBoyJoy movement, we decided to pull out the confetti and recap the most memorable moments in recent months—in no particular order. Enjoy!
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s son, Saint West is the purest example of Black Boy Joy. At 4-years-old, the oldest son of the famed couple is rarely caught on camera throwing a tantrum or giving a pout. In fact, he’s completely unbothered. Goals!
Congratulations were in order for Raymond Santana and Deelishis who tied the knot with a lovely Georgia wedding. We were happy to see one of the "Exonerated Five" marrying the love of his life!
RELATED | See Inside Deelishis and Raymond Santana Jr.'s Glamorous Quarantine Wedding
We honestly hope they live happily ever after!
Russell Wilson's love for his family keeps us swooning—especially during the quarantine. From admitting he spoils his pregnant wife Ciara to doing his daughter Sienna’s hair on Sundays, the family man ofter has left us questions is there anything he can’t do?
RELATED | Ciara Finally Shares The Secret Prayer That Sent Her Russell Wilson
Did we mention he is also charitable? Amazing!
LeBron James and his wife Savannah James raised their sons to live their life to the fullest—even when they are dancing! Nothing highlights that better than Bronny's TikTok filled with dance routines that kept us smiling during the quarantine!
There is no way you can deny that Black dads are dynamic. From “dance dads” dedicating their Saturday mornings to learn ballet with their daughters to men becoming experts at laying their daughter’s baby hairs, Black dads are always going viral with their heartwarming moments!
Finally a Black-owned UberEats! Twin brothers, David and Aaron Cabello changed the game after launching a food delivery service in Philadelphia and Detroit.
RELATED | Twin Brothers Create Black-Owned Delivery Service In Philadelphia
Appropriately called Black And Mobile, the app rapidly grew in popularity due to the pandemic, especially since the delivery platform specialized in giving Black-Owned restaurants a way to reach their customers.
From arriving at the 2019 Met Gala dressed in head-to-toe gold to wearing a tuxedo-gown to the Oscars, Billy Porter always earns tens across the board.
Creating buzz-worthy moments in style, the Pose actor not only drew attention to toxic masculinity, but he also showcased that fashion is meant to be inclusive.
ICYMI: Billy also teamed up with Vogue to launch the #METGalaChallenge to keep people busy (and fashionable) during the pandemic. Bravo!
Comedian Kevin Hart was lucky to be alive after a nearly fatal car crash last September left him immobilized due to serious back injuries. Today, the actor is back on his feet— even captured on camera dancing the ‘BOP’ with his daughter, Heavenly.
"I'm about 65 to 75 percent back to my physical self," Kevin explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in December. "My workouts are not full. I'm not lifting crazy weights, but I'm back to weighted workouts, agility, mobility, core workouts."
Now that's something to rejoice about!
Despite working with Gucci, fashion designer Dapper Dan demanded "accountability" after the fashion brand dropped the ball and allowed blackface fashion to make a debut.
“I am a Black man before I am a brand," the Harlem fashion icon wrote on Instagram before he arranged a meeting with the CEO of Gucci. Profound!
2019 was quite a busy year for Safaree. From marrying fellow Love And Hip Hop star Erica Mena to announcing to the world that he’s expecting his first child, the larger-than-life reality star has been living his best life.
RELATED | Inside Erica Mena And Safaree's Lavish Wedding – And Check Out Their Matching 6-Figure Rings
If you don’t believe us, take a look at his social media timeline filled with pregnancy photoshoots, ultrasounds, and money-making moves!
Tyler Perry made history in 2019 by building the largest motion picture studio in the country and naming the studios after the Black Hollywood elite.
RELATED | Tyler Perry’s Studio Opening Gala Was A Historic Moment For Black Hollywood
The 300-acre studio that sits on the grounds of former Fort McPherson army base in Atlanta paid homage to: Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Whoopi Goldberg, Sidney Poitier, Halle Berry, Will Smith, Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Della Reese, John Singleton and Diahann Carroll. Outstanding!
NBA star Stephen Curry proudly announced his decision to sponsor the creation of men’s and women’s golf teams at Howard University, making it possible for competitive golf to be played at the HBCU for the first time in decades.
It was a big deal when Master P went from a hitmaker in the studio to a co-founder of the savory chips brand Rap Snacks in 1994. Now, Cardi B’s Jerk BBQ and the Migos’ Sour Cream with a Dab of Ranch can be found in over 4,200 Walmart stores.
RELATED | Rapper Master P Partners With Walmart To Get His 'Rap Snacks' Potato Chips Sold In Over 4,200 Stores
As if that wasn’t enough, the 49-year-old multi-millionaire recently announced that he expanded his brand by is cooking up the stir fry with his very own brand of ramen noodles, ICON Rap Noodles. Delish!
Omarion exhibited an unbelievable amount of unfazed when news surfaced that his ex-girlfriend, Apryl Jones, and his former B2K bandmate Lil Fizz were in a relationship.
We all need that level of chill!
It was a long time coming, but Gucci Mane finally got some respect on his name in 2019! Fashion brand, Gucci made the famed rapper the face of their Cruise 2020 campaign, and the performer couldn’t be happier. His smile said it all.
John Legend is the Sexiest Man Alive, according to People magazine. Although the 2019 honoree was a bit taken aback that he was following in the footsteps of 2018's honoree Idris Elba, he hilariously kept things playful.
"1995 John would be very perplexed to be following 2018 @IdrisElba as #SexiestManAlive," he tweeted. "Hell, 2019 John is about as equally perplexed but thank you @People for finding me sexy. I'll take it."
RELATED | Chrissy Teigen’s Reaction To John Legend’s ‘Sexiest Man’ Title Is Hilarious
Even his wife Chrissy Teigen gloated in the glory!
Diddy’s 50th birthday extravaganza was a big deal! With a star-filled guest list, it was no surprise that all your favorite celebrities showed up to celebrate the music icon’s milestone. In fact, even Jay-Z and Kanye West made an unexpected reunion.
Crowned hip-hop’s first billionaire, turning 50-years-old wasn’t the only huge milestone Jay-Z experienced last year. According to the Financial Post, the famed rapper also bought back the intellectual property of his iconic fashion brand Rocawear.
Despite being booted from the country music charts, Lil Nas X broke barriers in the country music world.
RELATED | Lil Nas X Wins His First Country Music Award For ‘Old Town Road’
Thanks to his record-breaking hit "Old Town Road,"—that was certified diamond— the performer not only secured several awards, but also made history by being the first openly gay Black man to land on Forbes’ list of “highest-paid country acts.” Iconic!
From having their stories told in the limited-series Netflix original When They See Us to walking the red carpet at the 2019 Emmy Awards with writer/director Ava DuVernay, the "Exonerated Five" basked in positive recognition after being wrongly prosecuted in the 1989 rape and assault of a Central Park jogger.
RELATED | Raymond Santana And Deelishis Get Married In Beautiful Georgia Wedding
Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, and Yusef Salaam even received a standing ovation at the BET Awards!
Starring in the Black rendition of Bonnie and Clyde, Daniel Kaluuya played a pivotal part in making Lena Waithe's and Melina Matsoukas’ first feature film, Queen & Slim, a big deal.
RELATED | Everything Daniel Kaluuya Revealed On The Set of 'Queen & Slim'
With numerous awards under his belt, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Black Panther, we are sure we can expect much more success from the British-born actor.
(Photo: TheStewartofNY/GC Images)
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