We live in a society where love and vulnerability, especially between Black men is mocked or shunned. At a young age, boys are taught toxic behaviors and to put up walls, because any display of emotions and preferences not deemed as “hard” are coded as “soft”, “bad”, or “not valid”. Black Boy Joy presents an alternate, nuanced, and realistic perspective. The film revolves around three generations, Otis, Miles, and Selim. It explores the themes of how to raise a Black boy with autism in America today, especially with the microaggressions and policing of Black bodies. The idea of nurture and care vs. tough love and “hardness”, grief, generational curses within a family and how breaking patterns across generations are some of the themes that are further explored within the film. The film also explores the complexities of relationship building, effective communication, and support amongst Black fathers and sons. We also tap into the realities of parenting someone with Autism as well as explore what it is like to actually be on the spectrum.