Sharif El-Mekki of @centerblacked.bsky.socialand I discuss the “trifecta” so many Black male educators carry: what they experienced as students, what they face as professionals, and the daily choice to protect kids anyway. ❗Watch the full conversation on #UMME. #WeNeedBlackTeachers #Education #SEL

At ICBME in Toronto (2017), I shared my mask + the work at @EverForwardClub—one week before launching #100kMasks. The mask is protection. But when boys stop sharing, the damage begins.

Your attention is priceless. 🫵🏾 Tag a young person who needs this. What are you 👍🏾 wrestling 🤼‍♂️ with on your screen this week? Remember: what you give attention to shapes your life. Stop the doom scroll!

You recorded it. You felt it. You meant it. But you didn’t post it. Not because you don’t care… But because you care too much. Perfectionism? Or fear? If this hit home, you’re not alone. Let’s grow through it together.

“The best advice you can get is often the best advice you can give.” 🌱 Stepping into vulnerability grows connection & courage. Every mask we remove strengthens our community—and ourselves. #MillionMaskMovement

Hey Teachers, let me share the mask of an 11-year-old #millionmaskmovement  #everforwardclub #youarenotalone #fyp #foryoupage

#PositiveMasculinityMonday 💙 Ep. 15 celebrates father-son moments full of love, humor, lessons & emotional safety: from comforting after loss to bonding through talent & highlighting positivity. 

Diary of a Confused Educator – Clips | Episode 9 For students, young people & teachers navigating growth, pressure, and responsibility.

At the December 10th OUSD Board Meeting, I stood up and spoke. "I will not be quiet from this point forward." #BranchSpeaks #EverForward 📣 @ousdnews

At my talk at @Google, I asked the young men I mentor to stand up. They joined @EverForwardClub for different reasons, but found focus, confidence, support, and a safe place to be themselves. This isn’t about speeches. It’s about showing up. #Brotherhood

I had to be honest with myself. I let fear lead for too long. I waited for permission, an invitation, someone else to fix what I could already feel. But if you see the problem—if it stays on your heart—that is the invitation.

The class clown: always laughing, always funny. At the @everforwardclub Global Young Men’s Conference, participants explored #TakeOffTheMask. Front: “funny.” Back: sadness, stress, fear, anger. Reminder: #ThereIsMoreToThem.

#PositiveMasculinityMonday Episode 14 Lessons from The Forge (2024) on growing into manhood with purpose, discipline & brotherhood. Respect to @forgemovie, @thekendrickbrothers & @affirmfilms for a story that sparks real conversations for young men.

Schools are full of emotional landmines 🤯💣—unresolved issues buried under “acceptable” emotions. Without the right tools 🧰 or support, they pile up until one spark causes a crashout. Awareness is the first step.

You may see a young man hustling for success. I see him growing, learning resilience, and carrying responsibility with courage. Care about young men? Join Advocates for Young Men in Skool.

Did you like math growing up? Maybe it wasn’t talent, but having no one make it fun or challenging. I learned problem-solving helping my mom grade papers and losing board games. That’s how confidence is built. Caring adults matter! 

Filmed at @Google HQ—before #100kMasks and the #MillionMaskMovement. Front: happy. confident. Back: fear. insecurity. imposter. Nearly a decade later, the truth remains: we carry more than people can see.

It started with a letter, not a speech. @ayodele_har78 reads “Dear Black Men,” reminding us Black men aren’t defined by wealth or strength—they’re cherished simply for being. A grounding moment from @EverForwardClub. 🌟

At the Global Young Men’s Conference by @EverForwardClub, many wrote “Happy” on the front of their masks—but half revealed Sad, Tired, or Anger on the back. There’s more to people than meets the eye. Sometimes the best move? Ask, listen, and create space.

Episode 13 of #PositiveMasculinityMonday: Young men using their voices for good—motivating, inspiring, and spreading positivity online. In a world where social media divides, they’re showing it can uplift and connect. 

Which moments feel reasonable and which cross the line? Teaching means making hundreds of calls a day, some I still look back on in shock 😅

Life comes down to choices: healthy or sick, better or worse, speak up or stay quiet, alone or with support. Young men face these daily—adults care, but often lack the tools to show up.

Young men, who do you talk to when everything isn’t okay? Real brotherhood means support, honesty, and growth. A space to talk about pressure, fear, wins, and struggles without judgment. If you don’t have that yet, this is your invitation.

Years after my 2007 @the_fulbright_program fellowship in India, I saw Bharat mimic my morning routine in class. I was blown away and grateful. He just finished grad school! Moments like this remind me why education, mentorship & connection matter. 

Real talk to young men: if you don’t tell your story, someone else will. People label you without listening. When you stay quiet, the world fills in the blanks. Speak. Create. Say what you believe. Your voice matters.

Pt. 2 — I sat down with @heyitsjesswills of @liveinthebaytv to talk about @everforwardclub and the heart behind the #MillionMaskMovement. What began with 8 young men is now a global reminder: safe spaces to be real matter.  

Positive Masculinity Monday | Episode 12 Quiet moments shape boys into men. Love leads. Presence matters. Connection becomes the lesson from fathers and sons to culture, music, and memory.

Our classrooms hold more than lessons. They hold pressure, risk, and real harm. Episode 6 of DOaCE Clips names what parents and educators face daily: online threats, AI misuse, teacher burnout, emotional outbursts, and disruptive behavior.

I first shared this data in 2018 at the @ArtOfLiving ashram in Bangalore 🇮🇳 Today, we’ve analyzed 90,000+ masks from 100+ countries. One pattern remains clear: when adults write “happy” on the front, 7 in 10 write “sad,” “afraid,” or “stressed” on the back.

When someone asks, “How are you?”… do they really want to know? In high‑stress schools, young people carry real weight with nowhere safe to answer honestly. If we don’t create spaces where it’s okay to be heard, not fixed, we all lose.

Huge thanks to @heyitsjesswills & @liveinthebaytv for creating space to share the heart of @EverForwardClub. From 2004 to the present, this work has consistently been about community—giving young men space to be genuine, connected, and fully themselves.

We brought the #MillionMaskMovement to Winters, CA! Students explored vulnerability, connection, and shared their stories—one school, one mask at a time. 

Real change doesn’t happen overnight; it starts with intention, honesty, and courage. Masculinity is responsibility, care, and choosing words that build, not break. 👉🏾 Join the Advocates for Young Men

Teaching is hard! How are your child’s teachers doing? Do you know? Do you care? Teaching doesn’t end with the bell. If you’re a teacher showing up despite the weight, you’re not failing. You’re doing your best. 💛

I was at @Google promoting The Mask You Live In 🎬 . Told the room it’s on @Netflix & iTunes… then realized I forgot Google Play 😬 We laughed. A reminder: even important messages come from humans. Watch:

A safe space for young men to deal with pain, pressure, and real life. The Brotherhood by @EverForwardClub helps them #TakeOffYourMask, connect, and grow—because when they feel seen, they thrive. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTQQiC2imXX/”

Imagine a place where young people can safely deal with pain, pressure, and problems. A place to #TakeOffYourMask and get real. That’s the Brotherhood by @EverForwardClub. A space for young men to connect, open up, and grow.

Write to your younger self and see how far you’ve come. 💌 👉🏾 Share a line in the comments 👉🏾 Go deeper: create your mask at millionmask.org 🎭

POSITIVE MASCULINITY MONDAY — EP. 10 Boys learn by watching: serving others ❤️, asking for help, standing up, and celebrating wins. Joy, humor, connection—this is what happens when adults show up with intention.

Teaching is hard. Many teachers are exhausted, overwhelmed, and still showing up. If you’re tired but trying, you’re not failing—you’re doing your best in a system that asks for more than it gives. This space is for you.

You don’t calm a storm by yelling at the clouds. Young men need safety, not “calm down.” Naming emotions teaches regulation, grounding, and lifelong tools for managing feelings.  Read more:

I became a teacher to reach my students, especially young men slipping through the cracks. They told me what I knew growing up: being smart wasn’t “cool.” Weekly lunch talks turned into something bigger. That’s how @EverForwardClub began.

If people knew the real cost of chasing a dream, the sleepless nights, the forced “I’m fine” smiles, and holding it together in private, would they still go for it? We’re not faking it. We’re just doing our best to survive.

What’s behind your smile? Often, “I’m fine” hides tired, hurting hearts. The #MillionMaskMovement gives space to be real, reminds you you’re not alone, and lets the mask lift so connection begins. 💛

PositiveMasculinityMonday Ep. 9 explores the roles young men carry and how unprocessed grief and pressure often show up as anger instead of words. For parents, educators, and advocates supporting young men.

Teaching is more than lesson plans and grades; it’s the daily balance of chaos, courage, and connection. These clips capture the real moments that shape an educator’s heart and remind us why this work matters, even on the hardest days.

What if we truly saw the emotional masks that teachers wear each day? This carousel lifts the veil on what educators hold silently: the invisible weight, the quiet hope, and the emotional labor that often goes unseen.

#FlashbackFriday to August 2024, when the young men of De La Salle High School @dlshs.concord took part in our #TakingOffTheMask workshop and joined the global #MillionMaskMovement.

Celebrating the wins from 2025 and many more in 2026. Create your own mask at millionmask.org #MillionMaskMovement #EverForwardClub #AdvocatesForYoungMen #TheBrotherhood #TakingOffTheMask #ThereIsMoreToYou #ThereIsMoreToThem #YouAreNotAlone #HappyNewYear

2025 Recap This year was full. Full of purpose. Full of movement. Full of moments that reminded me why I do this work.