This Moving Photo Series Illustrates What It's Like to Be a Boy of Color in the US

"Aamir describes himself as an energetic, fun, and happy person. He says he feels torn about returning to school in the fall because, although he doesn't miss the schoolwork, he does miss his friends."

"Aamir took band as an elective last year. He chose the saxophone because it is a challenging instrument, and he likes a challenge. He reports that he has lots of friends of different races. However, he can think of several times when he felt singled out or unfairly targeted by authority figures despite the fact that he was doing the same things as his white counterparts."

"As Aamir gets older and bigger, his mother says that she worries more about how he will be perceived by society. She has already noticed a difference in the way people, primarily white people, interact with him."

"Kavari and Kymani say that in addition to being brothers, they are best friends. [They] agreed that they don't fight very often, but when they do, they make up quickly."

"Kymani plays basketball and soccer. He likes to draw and be outside. According to him, his mother taught him about racism. He feels that some white people do judge him based on his skin color. Hearing about acts of violence against People of Color makes him nervous because he 'thinks someone may kill him.'"

"Kavari [wants to have] a nice family and a big house someday. He would like to be a NBA player, but if that doesn't work out, then he plans to be a doctor instead. He stated that he wants people to know that he is a good person and knows there are nice white police officers, but he is also sometimes scared that he may get killed 'even if I didn't do anything wrong.'"

"The boys love Nerf guns and having 'battles' together. However, their mother is uncomfortable with them taking them out of the house to play because she worries someone might mistake them for real guns."

"Adrian and Ashton are 10-year-old twins. They live with their mom, dad, and older sister. Adrian says his family is very close, including his 95-year-old great grandmother who 'tells great stories.' Ashton agrees and stated that they 'have family nights a lot.'"

"Adrian hopes to one day be a professional baker. His other goals include trying to eat a whole pizza by himself and traveling the world. He describes himself as a 'chowing down machine' because he loves to eat. He also enjoys looking for cool rocks, building things, and playing basketball."

"Adrian states that he does sometimes feel he has to change his behavior when he is around white people, particularly if he does not know them. He would like people to know that 'my family has taught me respect' and that 'I have dreams for my future.'"

"Ashton has been learning the piano for several years. He enjoys it and can play a little by ear. He states that some of his other interests include pizza and video games. He also noted that he hates running."

"Ashton would like to become a teacher, like his mother, and work with kids who have dyslexia. He describes himself as shy but friendly and says that he tries to be kind to everyone despite their race and what they may think about his."

"The twins both say that they first learned about racism from their parents who explained what it was and that they may experience it at some point."

"A.J. is 2 years old and lives with his older sister, mom, and dad. He is sweet, happy, and outgoing. He likes Goldfish crackers, playing with his sister, and snuggling with his blanket. A.J is very proud of his hair and asked 'do you like my hair' several times while having his pictures taken."

"His mother teaches a race relations class to police recruits. She stated that she often hears disheartening stories from the Black male recruits about their exchanges with the police. She is in awe of their resolve to show up [and] do the job well regardless."

"Alex and Andrew both state that they first learned about racism a year ago when they visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Museum with their mom."

"Alex says that he is a 'nice and kind kid' who likes to read about Jesus and eat peaches. He wants to one day be a scientist, an astronaut, and a fireman."

"He wants 'Brown people to think I'm nice so they like me, and white people to think I'm nice so they like me and don't kill me.' He adds that white people might 'think that I'm mean, but if they get to know me, they will know I'm nice.'"

"Andrew lives with his mom and brother. He describes his mom as 'awesome and smart' and his brother as 'sometimes annoying and sometimes funny.'"

"Andrew likes to play on his tablet and loves football and basketball. He wants to one day play for the Dallas Cowboys."

"Dylyn describes himself as funny and says that he likes to make people laugh. He enjoys building things and would like to be a 'Lego maker' when he grows up."

"Dylyn stated that he has lots of white friends and that they have a lot in common. He enjoys playing basketball, baseball, and Fortnite with them."

"He and his mom have talked about racism and prejudice. Dylyn stated that racism is 'when people don't like you because of the color of your skin, they do and say bad things.'"

"Ian enjoys playing football, basketball, video games, and hanging out with his friends. He is a member of his school's show choir. He and his mother volunteer regularly at a local senior citizens facility and often spend holidays serving the homeless."

"Ian is Biracial (Jamaican and white). His mother says that people often assume he is adopted (she is white) and ask about it in front of him. She also recalls several incidents where she noticed Ian being treated better after someone realized he had a white mother."

"Ian stated that he realizes as he gets older, some people will perceive him as a threat. He would like them to know that he's 'just a person and don't want to be treated different just because I'm Black.'"

"Jalen enjoys playing video games and soccer. He wants to one day have a career in engineering and travel outside the United States. He is compassionate, friendly, and trustworthy. He stated that he wants people who may judge him by the color of his skin to know that he 'is just like everyone else.'"

"Jalen first experienced racism in second grade. He states that he was one of two Black boys in his class and that the other kids often mixed them up and said they looked alike or that all Black boys look the same."

"His mom feels that his white teachers often go out of their way to comment on his intelligence and character, as if they are surprised by it and had different expectations for her son."

"Joe and Sam were adopted. Their parents are white. They also have a younger sister who is Black. Their mom, states that 'as a white mom raising Black sons, I will never share their lived experiences of being Black. All I can do besides loving them is make a daily commitment to learning, growing, and advocating for them, so that they can have a strong positive racial identity.'"

"Sam describes himself as funny, smart, kind, and handsome. He likes to draw and is a talented artist. He is a member of the Kappa league and spends time volunteering. He would like people to know that he is not a threat to society."

"Sam says that he once confronted a classmate when they said 'the n word.' He states that the classmate wanted to fight him as a result of the confrontation."

"Joe describes himself as adaptable, enthusiastic, interesting, thoughtful, and intelligent. He likes watching movies, video games, and playing music. He says that his goals include becoming a paramedic. He also wants to someday be married, have a family, and be a good dad."

"Joe's parents have talked to him about racism since he was young, and he acknowledges that he has experienced it on a few different occasions."