smileforwe.com – Smile For We

Black men are the easiest targets in the world. I wanted to 'shoot' us a different way.

Every time we turn on our devices, we see another Black man being beaten up or killed by the police. It’s hard. Hard to sleep. Hard to focus. Hard just to get out of bed, let alone figure out where we go from here.

Photography finds the beauty in everything. So I grabbed my camera and went outside to find the beauty in US.

Worth it. Keep scrolling to read more.

Domino Effect

Reckless news coverage feeds the stereotype that Black men are dangerous, which has life-or-death consequences when we interact with the police.

But wait, there’s more!

The “thug” and “criminal” labels are also constantly reinforced by movies, TV shows, and the internet – literally putting a target on our backs.

Resetting the Image

The scary bad guy on the street corner is not the TRUE FACE of Black men in America, but it is the dominant one on TV. With all the Black men slander going on in the world and after two years under masks, I’m excited to show our smiles in the best possible light.

I can show you better than I can tell you, so keep on scrolling.

F*** the Police

As in, FREE. Free them from their crippling fear and bias against Black men. This is my prayer.

Dear White People

Don’t freak out. BLACK LOVE ISN’T WHITE HATE. We can still rewatch Schitt’s Creek together. I get it. Interest in ourselves is automatically considered hostile to others. But if you’re offended by positive images of Black men, this book isn’t for you because the effort is one thousand percent intentional.

I'm tired, y'all.

Tired of fighting against the machine. Tired of seeing boring, one-dimensional views of our lives. Tired of waiting for Hollywood’s permission to change the way the world sees and treats Black men.

Black Men Are People Too

We don’t all play sports, rap or sell drugs. I swear we’re just like you. You know, complex. HUMAN. But we just happen to be really cool.

Still confused? Let me help you out: Black men are everything the media wants you to believe we’re not.

There, I fixed it.

Shameless Plug

If you’re not feeling the book, then at least snag a shirt. They’re cute as hell.
And pushing positive Black men down these kids’ throats isn’t going to pay for itself.

That's all I got.

If this doesn’t convince you to support Black men, then at least do me the favor of sharing on your social media.

For Real, Share This Ish

Edit: Servers are expensive, donate to the Tip Jar to help keep this site running.

Or just buy me a green smoothie if I made you smile.

Disclaimer: I like to joke around, but the police violence against unarmed Black men is a serious problem. I don’t have all the answers. This is just my humble way of trying to control our public image, our brand.

What’s in it for me? Peace of mind. And a chance for Black men to gain an identity beyond the living embodiment of all your fears.

We deserve to finally show the world who we really are. And the world deserves to know.

Love,
Damon Mosley