“Society portrays men of color as something to lust after or aspire to attain. We’re represented to be used and feasted upon and are treated like nothing more than pieces of meat to be paraded around or shown no respect for. We are treated in the same mannner of objectivity that black women are in videos; we aren’t being valued for our minds, only for our bodies.

#WeSmileToo shows that men of color are more than where the world has decided our value stops. We are magic. Through trial and error, we find ways to continue being strong through adversity and showing who we really are.

We’re more than sexual triumphs or eye feasts. And while those are flattering, movements like #WeSmileToo give men of color a platform to prove we have happy days and can be portrayed as such, despite society’s generalizations.

We are of many colors and shades and different perspectives. And if given the chance to be heard and seen, the world will see that we are not here to be objects, but vessels for uniting one another and having the strength to stand up against the negativity that is constantly forced upon us, daily.”