Black Men Smile® founder Carlton Mackey was recently selected to participate in Trailblazers, a small business fellowship program from Shea Moisture Men and The Gathering Spot. The fellowship is a six-month program that celebrates Black male entrepreneurs who are making an impact with their businesses and changing their communities. The benefits of the fellowship include membership with The Gathering Spot, brand amplification, a $1000 financial grant, mentorship sessions, and a speaker series. “I’m so honored to be among these 20 amazing pioneers and to have Shea Moisture Men and The Gather ..read more

With community, culture, and the clarion call, ‘Stay Solid’, the fourth biannual A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show took place on September 5, 2021, in Atlanta, GA. Following the success of previous years, the art show continues to create a space where Black male artists can showcase the beauty of their expressions. The event was co-produced by Josh Dingle, creator of A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show, and Carlton Mackey, creator of Black Men Smile®.  “The show was created to celebrate Black men — the strength in our stories, and the creativity in our expression. The event features all Black ma ..read more

Black Men Smile® founder Carlton Mackey was featured in his hometown newspaper, The Blackshear Times, for his work uplifting Black male joy. The front-page story highlighted Mackey's recent gift of Black Men Smile® merchandise to local high school football champions and chronicled the brand's evolution and activism.  The Blackshear Times writes:  Blackshear native Carlton Mackey is off doing good in the world, but he hasn’t forgotten that home is where the heart is. Mackey, a professor and director for Ethics and the Arts Program at Emory University’s Center for Ethics ..read more

Honoring the creativity, ingenuity, and brilliance of Black male creatives, the third, biannual A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show took place on Feb. 28, 2021, in Atlanta, GA. Building upon the success of previous year’s shows, the event featured artwork from 50 Black male artists, a large-scale custom-built interactive art installation, the presentation of a Community Impact Award, a live band, DJ, and live performances. This show also featured a signature fragrance, developed in conjunction with Savoir Faire, plus a street art and fashion showcase. In keeping with the theme, event produce ..read more

Black Men Smile® teamed up with Atlanta artist Dr. Fahamu Pecou to co-host a conversation on Black male vulnerability, compassion and healing on Feb. 20, 2021. A group of four Black men from diverse backgrounds and professions engaged in an intimate and, at times, deeply personal dialogue with the goals of generating self healing and inspiring other Black men to embrace their own journey toward healing themselves.  The event served as an interactive accompaniment to Pecou’s art installation “The Space Between”. Pecou’s installation, on display at Hambidge’s Cross-Pollination Art L ..read more

Black Men Smile® founder Carlton Mackey is slated to moderate a digital panel hosted by Atlanta's Alliance Theater on Oct. 8, 2020.   The conversation, dubbed "Recasting the Black Image", will be focused on reckoning with the stereotype of the “Black Male." Mackey will engage panelists about the demands placed on Black men by society and mainstream media, and the ways artist-activists are reshaping this image. Panelists include: Mark Kendall, Writer, Actor, Comedian, and Creator of The Magic Negro Eugene H. Russell IV, Musician, Songwriter, and Actor Ch ..read more

The second, biannual A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show on Sept. 12, 2020 in Atlanta, GA was nothing short of amazing.  Over 30 Black male artists and vendors gathered to show, sell, and share their art with the local community. After a spring of lockdown and a summer of social uprising, this show was inspired by the Black social justice movement of the 1960s and it's theme song and clarion call, "Say it Loud. I'm Black and I'm Proud."  To keep the event safe for all involved, the large, airy venue utilized both indoor and outdoor spaces, food trucks, and outdoor displays. This&nbs ..read more

  Black Men Smile® celebrated Juneteenth with Black Boy Art Show and other Atlanta artist friends at Power Haus Creative's Juneteenth Takeover. The event brought together 19 of Atlanta’s finest creators for a day-long event where the artists installed messages and images on the facade of the historic Flatiron City building in Downtown Atlanta. We transformed the building into an outdoor gallery exhibition of unapologetic black expression. Through creative expression, the artists translated the ideas, issues, and emotions of this unique time in history and created a backdro ..read more

Our amazing youth mentoring program K.I.N.G.S. Mentorship, invited Black fathers and their families to a community building event called the Dad’s Brunch: Real Fathers. Real Dialogue. Real Growth, on Feb. 23, 2020 in Atlanta. The event took place at local Black-owned business Kupkakerie. Fathers and their families were invited to participate in candid, cross-generational dialogue about parenting and family dynamics. “Conversation is a conduit through which revelation takes place,” said Carlton Mackey, creator of Black Men Smile®. “As we continue to heal it’s vital that we are open and honest ..read more

Black Men Smile® creator Carlton Mackey partnered with artist and event curator Josh Dingle to produce the first A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show on Feb. 20, 2020 in Atlanta. The event featured works from all Black, male artists with the purpose of celebrating black men, the strength in our stories, and the creativity in our expression.   Through visual works of art, apparel, live performances, and delicious food and drinks, guests celebrated in a tangible, visceral celebration of Black Joy.     “Black artists are ushering in a new revolution…a new modality for resistance th ..read more