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

Choose two stories in the collection and compare and contrast how each story demonstrates the importance of Black boys finding sources of joy in their lives. How does joy empower the Black boys in the stories to find their voices and express their true selves? What struggles do the boys overcome, and what forms does their joy take?

How do the stories in Black Boy Joy treat heroes? What are some of the different approaches that the stories take to portraying heroes, and how do the boys in the stories find their heroes? What message do you think the authors are trying to send to Black boys about heroes?

How do the stories in Black Boy Joy portray Black boys compared to other stories about Black boys? Choose a story from outside of the collection and compare and contrast its representation of Black boys with that of one of the stories in the collection. What do these different representations suggest about The Impact of Representation on Self-Esteem?