In the center of a stage set up at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs’ Tina Suliman took the microphone.
For months, she and her colleagues had been exploring a question that seemed simple on its face: “What does well-being look like for Black men and boys?” The well-being initiative, sponsored by Brookings and drawn from voices in Baltimore, Montgomery County, Md., and Little Rock, Ark. uncovered complicated truths.
Each community held deep conversations about the situation as it stands, how it came to be and what can be done to identify policies and programs that support well-being for Black men and boys.
From Suliman’s perspective, this project revealed a fundamental human need: Black men and boys desire “the freedom to show up fully as themselves and be vulnerable and make mistakes and still be treated with dignity and respect.”
By centering Black boys and men in policymaking and program design, she said, their voices and experiences, which are too often erased or pathologized, can be made visible and valued. This inclusion strengthens families, communities, and ultimately improves social, economic, and health outcomes, she said.
“Throughout American history, Black boys and men have been uniquely characterized using derogatory and degrading language … in media, popular culture, politics, and social commentary,” according to a report published this month at the conclusion of the initiative.
“When positive examples do appear, the success of Black boys and men is often framed as miraculous, portraying them as exceptional individuals who overcame the traps of poverty, transcended the challenges of growing up in a single-parent household, or built an exceptional character, stellar aptitude, and tenacious grit.”
The frequent repetition of Black boys and men as societal failures seeps into policy preferences, proposals and discourse, and such negative narratives seep into the design and implementation of programs, services and policies.
Keon Gilbert, who helped lead the project at Brookings, summarized the findings: “Spaces like this, where true healing can take place, have the power to transform the old adage into something greater. Healed people can heal people.”
The researchers are clear that this is just the beginning. They aim to develop policy recommendations, create measurement tools and continue these critical dialogues.
Participants discussed the need to break free from limiting stereotypes and create new, empowering stories about Black masculinity. They emphasized emotional intelligence, vulnerability and mutual support.
Led by CCP in Baltimore, a series of conversations over six months shed light on the importance of creating spaces that intentionally center Black men and boys. CCP’s approach went beyond traditional research methodologies, emphasizing a participatory, community-partnered process rooted in the belief that lived experience is expertise. The work recognized that Black men and boys are too often erased or treated as an afterthought in health initiatives, and that elevating their voices strengthens families, communities, and systems.
At one of the community sessions in Baltimore in July, participants worked to reimagine what it means to be a Black man in America.
Participants dove into the complex realities of the Black male experience, working to dismantle limiting narratives and rebuild understanding. At the core of the discussion was a powerful redefinition of well-being.
As Suliman noted, it’s about “thriving, not just surviving.” Participants mapped out categories of well-being that go beyond traditional narratives – healing, emotional care, connection and liberation. The raw honesty was striking. “I didn’t want to be a Black man because I didn’t see any positive Black men,” one participant said of his upbringing.
Key themes emerged that challenge traditional notions of masculinity. Connection, not isolation. Healing, not suppression. Growth, not just survival. The group emphasized the importance of mentorship, community support and creating environments where Black men can be their authentic selves.
Despite the Brookings Institution project’s formal conclusion, there is a commitment to maintaining these connections, exploring future partnerships and working towards sustainable solutions that support Black men’s mental health, personal development and community well-being.
“We need to reimagine the narratives and the programs and the services and policies that are inclusive of Black men and boys,” Gilbert said. “Many participants talked about how it’s not an absence of policies in and of themselves, but an absence of how Black men and boys have been included or excluded from these policies and sometimes even programs and services.”
