Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The purpose of Black Boy Joy is to communicate the many joys of growing up Black and to combat the negativity that often permeates media representations of Black people. Before he ever meets Gary the Griot, Fort is told to find his joy, which will be his “night-light” in the dark. This becomes his task and the task of the work itself: to collect stories of joy and share them with those who need it most. The authors in the collection portray Black families as joyful, kind, and family oriented, suggesting to Black readers that they need not live according to stereotypes or wider societal expectations.

Many of the stories, including Fort’s, begin with a moment of sadness or grief, which is then contrasted by a moment of pure joy. Each character in the collection finds joy in their own way, in their own time. The joys in the collection take a wide variety of forms, from big adventures to small moments shared with loved ones or simple acts of self-expression. For example, Jevon looks for joy in those closest to him, while Dylan finds it in remaining connected to the past.