Listen, those of us who raise, love, care about, and pray for boys of color understand what they’re up against. We understand that there are police officers who might stop them for no reason, shopkeepers who may follow them around, and overzealous neighborhood watch captains who may question whether or not they belong based on nothing but the color of their skin.
And while we’re at it, yes, parents of brown boys also understand that our boys are more likely to drop out of school, be a victim of violence, or have a harder time getting a job—even when they’re qualified. But despite the challenges, institutional racism, and discrimination our children face on the daily, brown boys around the world continue to excel, grow, and thrive.
And that’s why we’re here.
Flickr: Cheriejoyful
Brown Boy Genius is here to change the story we normally hear about our boys. While we’re not at all blind to the struggles they face—and we’ll continue to discuss them and try to find solutions—we also know that there are millions of boys doing AH-MAY-ZING things that we never hear about.
The media likes to tell one story about our boys, but we’re here to disrupt all that and tell the whole truth about brown boys.
Our aim around these parts is to shine a light on wonderful brown boys (and those who love & support them), while also seeking solutions and supporting initiatives that will help more of our boys succeed.
So, are you down?
If you’ve got a positive story you’d like us to share about a brilliant, awesome, super cool brown boy send us an email, hit us up on Twitter @BrownBoyGenius or drop us a line on Facebook.
Also, drop a comment below to let us know what you’d like to see on this site & how we can help support our boys.
Lastly, if you’ve got a wonderful brown boy, use the #BrownBoyGenius hashtag on Twitter and we just might feature him on our site!
July 28, 2014
Thank you for providing this space. I am looking forward to this perspective, because it definitely needs to be heard from as many mothers, aunts, sisters and advocates as possible.
July 28, 2014
Thanks Kyrstal & Val for reading & commenting!
July 28, 2014
Thank you Thank You Thank you for providing this space… I love my Brown Boy Genius and all of those who grow up to be Brown Men Genius’. 🙂
July 29, 2014
Brilliant idea!! I love this concept and hope to send some wonderful stories of my own “brown boys!” Thank you!
July 31, 2014
Super excited about Brown Boy Genius! I gave birth to a beautiful brown boy four months ago and I want him to know how special, loved and valued he is.
July 28, 2014
WOW! This is (sadly) much needed. I don’t have a son yet, but grew up around such positive examples of black men and I know that while, the stories presented in the media would have us think otherwise, there are positive black men and boys all around and they are the majority but their stories aren’t told. Kudos to you for being the first group that I’ve seen making great strides to honor their stories.
July 28, 2014
I don’t have children but am SOOO glad that you are doing this and will happily share the stories you post. Best wishes!
July 28, 2014
Thanks for rocking with us!
July 28, 2014
From a teacher who works with a whole bunch of AMAZING – INTELLIGENT – CARING – UNIQUE – AND ALL AROUND WONDERFUL brown boys, thanks for shining a light on the positive while we work to change to unfair challenges they face each day. I’ll be reading and when we start school sharing some stories of my #BrownBoyGenius students.
July 28, 2014
This website is a great idea! Keep us updated on Twitter!
July 29, 2014
I absolutely love this! As a mom to a 3 year old brown boy, I thank you for providing a space to share uplifting stories about young boys doing great things. The world desperately needs to hear those stories.
July 29, 2014
Thanks so much for this website. I’m raising a brown boy genius myself and have all the worries, apprehensions, joy, pride, hope and sometimes sorrow that comes with it. Congratulations!
July 29, 2014
thank you for this. MUCH needed. I’m looking forward to sharing this and offering any ideas I have for this site. I have an 11 year old son who is sweet and amazing and needs to see more boys like him just as awesome. God bless 🙂
July 29, 2014
Absolutely in LOVE with this site! We need MORE platforms where we’re celebrated. Kudos to you for starting this, looking forward to supporting!
July 29, 2014
Love, LOVE , love this idea and I will be letting all my friends a family know about it. I have a lot of little brown boy genius’ in my world. I look forward to knowing what they need to be the best they can be.
July 29, 2014
As the mom of three wonderful amazing handsome brown boys and aunt to five and lover of a whole lot more I am SO happy to see this blossom and take part! I will definitely be hashtagging my #BrownBoyGenius X3…especially since my eldest #BrownBoyGenius will be going off to UA Honors college in little less than a month.
July 29, 2014
AWESOME! Thanks!
July 29, 2014
This is awesome…My beautiful brown boy is only 9 months old — but he’ll be working his way up to doing AMAZING things (even tho, I already think he has 😉 hehehe) I love this….He and I will read this as he grows. Thank you for this space and this place to change the story!
July 29, 2014
Awww…I miss the baby stage. Enjoy it! As you know, it speeds by!
July 29, 2014
Love this! I have my very own #brownboygenius and promise to deluge you with stories about him!
July 29, 2014
I have 4 beautiful brown boys and I love this site. I’m about to send out my Tweet with my hashtag now. Great site.
July 30, 2014
This is so awesome! I can’t wait! Looking forward to all of the wonderful stories about our boys! As the mother of one dynamic brown boy, I will definitely support this site!
July 30, 2014
This is so exciting and a fantastic way to lift up our young boys and share their successes and triumphs. As a mother to a 9 year old and 3 year old Jamaican-American boys I want them to understand that despite what anyone may see looking at the color of their skin their hearts are sweet & golden, their minds are sharp and their innocence treasured. Looking forward to reading and sharing, very exciting. I’d love to work with you on any future projects!
July 30, 2014
I’m so excited about this space! My brown boy just celebrated his 2nd birthday and I want to keep that light and genius in his eyes sharp, focused, and full of wonder and love. I will gladly introduce him to #brownboygenius as he grows, but for now mommy will be checking in and taking notes.
July 30, 2014
I’m so glad to see a site that’s dedicated to telling the whole story and acknowledges that there’s much, much more to boys like ours than just the stereotypes in entertainment and the news on TV. Looking forward to reading about things that inspire and support every #brownboygenius and their parents.
July 30, 2014
Thank you SO much for creating this space. I am amazed daily by my brown boy genius x2 (aged 15 and 8) and can’t wait to read stories of others. Brilliant and inspiring!!!
July 30, 2014
I’m white but that doesn’t mean I don’t know some pretty great brown boys and men. SO glad to see this initiative!
July 31, 2014
Thank you creating this space for those of us who are raising a #brownboygenius. My 11 year old #brownboygenius started swimming when he was 5 years old and has subsequently been swimming competitively locally, regionally and nationally since he was 8. I live in Boston, so when our teams show up at MIT or Harvard for swim meets we are typically amongst a very small handful of brown boys competiting at this level. My #brownboygenius has swim practice 4-5 days a week, but also manages to stay on the honor roll each term. I’m proud of the young man I am raising!! #changingthestoryline
Thank you for allowing me to share my story.
July 31, 2014
Awesome!!
July 31, 2014
I love how you are using positive uplift our boys. I have a 2 year old brown son and when I watch the news it scares me. I hold my son and kiss his sweet forehead and pray that the world will see how amazing he is, smart and full of happiness. How he wears his heart on his sleeve and how gentle he is to others.
July 31, 2014
i’ve got a brown boy genius for a son! his name is elijah, he’s learning mandarin and his favorite book series include harry potter, warriors and 39 clues. i could write about him all day!
August 13, 2014
This is a brilliant idea, it’s something I myself have been thinking about especially since having my own brown boy genius!!! I’m ready for the mammoth task ahead of raising a brown/black boy. So I’m really looking forward to this!!!
August 14, 2014
Yes! Looking forward to this. I don’t have any kids myself but I do have a brother, a father, an uncle, and a host of cousins and friends. All of whom have had their own struggles and overcame thankfully. This is something I will tell them about.
August 31, 2014
Thank you so much for providing an uplifting positive outlet for our brown boys. I have a 7 year old and when I look at the media today I am scared out of my mind of what my son may encounter. Thank you for having a space for positivity 🙂