A Love Letter To the Kings, Warriors, Dreamers, and Builders—Our Black and Brown Men and Boys

You, the ones whose skin radiates the earth’s richest shades, are the heartbeat of our history, our present, and our future. I write this love letter to you, not just with words, but with a legacy that stretches back to the soil that birthed us all. It’s for the boy still finding his way, the man who carries the weight of many worlds, and the elder whose wisdom carves out paths we’ve yet to walk.

I see you. I see you standing tall even when the world tries to break you down. You’ve been told, “We gon’ be alright” by Kendrick Lamar because you know the storms don’t last. Mistakes, trauma, tragedy, and triggers—they’re scars, yes, but they’re also stories, chapters you’ve lived through and survived. You are not defined by them, but strengthened by them. Remember Tupac’s words: “Even though you’re fed up, you gotta keep your head up.” This is the resilience in your bones, the revolution in your spirit.

You rise. You rise from every fall, every corner you’ve been backed into, with the grace of a man who knows that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” as Dr. King said. I wish for you not just survival, but triumph. Not just getting by, but thriving in the fullness of who you are—whether loud with laughter, or quiet in thought.

I wish for you the freedom to live in joy unapologetically, with pride in every part of who you are, knowing that Black Boy Joy is not just a fleeting moment, but a birthright. “Your crown has already been bought and paid for. All you have to do is wear it,” James Baldwin once said. Wear it, brothers, and walk like you were born to lead because you were. The world needs your light, your voice, your creativity, and your fire. As Basquiat painted in brilliant strokes that moved minds—so, too, do your lives, your stories paint the world anew.

To my kings and brothers, you are loved. Not just loved, but loved authentically—the kind of love that is unconditional, that embraces you in all your fullness: your victories and your wounds, your masculinity however you define it, your truth however you live it. Michelle Obama said, “You are more than enough. You have always been enough.” Believe that in every cell of your being. Love yourselves as deeply as the love you give, knowing that the value of your soul is not measured by the standards of a world that hasn’t fully embraced its humanity.

You are not just the muscle, the hustle, or the swagger. You are the heart, the intellect, the spirit of this world. Malcolm X once declared, “We are not outnumbered, we are out-organized.” So rise, my kings, and stand together. Lean on each other in brotherhood, in community, and know that the village surrounds you with love.

In every step you take, know that you are humanized, even when the world fails to see it. As Barack Obama once said, “We are the change that we seek.” You are living, breathing change—the embodiment of perseverance in a world that often wants to define you by anything but your brilliance.

Jason Tatum, whose grace under pressure turns struggle into victory, said, “This is my moment.” And it is yours, too—your moment to shine beyond every stereotype, every narrative that wasn’t written by you.

Be bold enough to live fully, to stand as your authentic selves, knowing that masculinity has no limits—it is what you create it to be, just as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has shattered barriers and shown us strength is as much about heart as it is about muscle. You define you, and as Dee-1 raps, “be real, be righteous, and be relevant.” Your righteousness, your relevance, comes from your truth.

Colman Domingo reminds us, “It’s your duty to honor your truth, your experience, your existence.” Honor yourselves, my brothers. Let every breath you take, every step you make, be filled with the knowledge that your very existence is a revolutionary act. You, just as you are, are the revolution.

And when you feel alone, when the weight gets heavy, remember Angela Davis’ truth: “We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society.” Start with liberating your mind from the chains of doubt, from the voices that say you aren’t enough. You are more than enough.

So live loud, live joyfully, live with pride—for the world is not complete without you. And as Maya Angelou wrote, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”

Know this, my brothers—you are loved, you are worthy, and you are rising.

With all my heart,