The expectations for Black men can carry a hefty weight, having a detrimental effect on not just them, but those they love. What is the measure of this pressure, and how can we lessen the burden for us all? What Is Toxic Masculinity? According to the New York Times, toxic masculinity has been defined as behavior that includes masking emotions/distress and maintaining an appearance of solidity. “Toxic masculinity is what can come of teaching boys that they can’t express emotion openly; that they have to be “tough all the time”; that anything other than that makes them “feminine” or
