Change a Life 2 Change the World!
100 EMOTIONS BLACK/MELANATED/AFRICAN-HERITAGE YOUTH MUST KNOW BEFORE 18
Pride – Feeling deep love for one’s Blackness & heritage
Belonging – Knowing you are part of a people with ancient roots
Respect – Honoring elders, ancestors, and cultural traditions
Confidence – Believing in your own worth & brilliance
Self-Love – Loving your skin, hair, body, and features
Connection – Feeling tied to Africa & the African diaspora
Curiosity – Wanting to learn your history & ancestry
Honor – Living in a way that uplifts your family & ancestors
Responsibility – Feeling duty-bound to protect your culture
Celebration – Feeling joy in Black culture, music, art, and food
Reverence – Seeing the Earth as sacred
Gratitude – Thanking the land, water, and sun for life
Care – Protecting plants, animals, and ecosystems
Nurturing – Loving the act of growing food & healing soil
Curiosity (Nature) – Exploring how nature works
Hope (Earth) – Believing the planet can heal
Compassion (for animals & trees) – Feeling empathy for living beings
Sacred Joy – Dancing, singing, or praying in nature
Wonder – Being amazed by rivers, stars, forests, and wildlife
Responsibility (Earth) – Knowing you must protect the planet
Courage – Standing up against injustice
Righteous Anger – Anger used to fuel positive change
Determination – Never giving up on freedom or justice
Boldness – Speaking truth even when afraid
Strategic Patience – Waiting & planning before acting
Defiance (Against Oppression) – Refusing to bow to injustice
Pride in Resistance – Honoring freedom fighters & rebels
Hope for Liberation – Believing freedom will come
Protectiveness – Willing to defend your people & community
Unity – Feeling strength when standing together
Forgiveness (Self) – Letting go of shame placed on you by society
Forgiveness (Others) – Healing even when others hurt you
Sadness – Allowing yourself to cry & release pain
Grief (Ancestral) – Mourning those lost in slavery, lynching, or oppression
Empathy – Understanding others’ pain without judgment
Acceptance – Accepting your family & community as they are
Relief – Feeling peace after letting go of trauma
Self-Compassion – Being kind to yourself during struggles
Emotional Safety – Feeling secure to share your feelings
Joy in Healing – Celebrating when you overcome pain
Creative Flow – Losing yourself in art, dance, or music
Playfulness – Keeping a childlike joy for life
Celebration of Black Joy – Laughing, singing, dancing freely
Pride in Creating – Loving what you make with your hands or mind
Gratitude for Black Art – Loving music, painting, poetry from your culture
Freedom of Expression – Feeling safe to be your authentic self
Peace Through Art – Using creativity to calm your mind
Love of Storytelling – Enjoying passing on cultural tales
Cultural Awe – Being amazed at African masks, sculpture, and fabrics
Sacred Happiness – Knowing joy itself is an act of resistance
Self-Trust – Believing you can solve problems
Calm Under Pressure – Staying cool in emergencies
Resourcefulness – Finding creative solutions
Pride in Work – Feeling good about making or fixing things
Satisfaction – Taking joy in being independent
Confidence in Survival – Trusting your outdoor or life skills
Focus – Staying on task when learning or building
Determined Persistence – Not quitting when things get hard
Patience – Understanding great things take time
Hope in Hardship – Believing better days will come
Curiosity (Truth) – Wanting to know real history
Skepticism – Questioning lies and propaganda
Confidence in Speaking Truth – Sharing what you learn
Pride in Black Genius – Admiring African inventors & thinkers
Strategic Thinking – Making smart, long-term decisions
Wonder (Science) – Loving how things grow, move, or work
Joy in Learning – Loving books, research, and discovery
Discernment – Telling fake “greenwashing” from real eco-solutions
Empowerment Through Knowledge – Feeling powerful when you learn
Clarity – Staying calm even when others disagree
Love for Community – Caring deeply about neighbors & family
Generosity – Sharing time, food, or skills
Pride in Helping Others – Feeling strong when giving
Belief in Collective Power – Knowing change comes from groups
Loyalty – Staying true to your people
Compassion for the Poor & Vulnerable – Helping those struggling
Responsibility as a Leader – Taking your role seriously
Joy in Service – Being happy to help
Patience With Others – Respecting different opinions in the community
Sacrifice for the Greater Good – Giving up something for everyone’s benefit
INNOVATION & FUTURE-FOCUSED HOPE
Confidence in Your Ideas – Believing your inventions matter
Excitement for the Future – Seeing hope in change
Determination to Build Solutions – Never giving up on new projects
Curiosity (Tech & Science) – Loving to tinker, experiment, and innovate
Responsibility to Future Generations – Thinking about your descendants
Pride in Youth Power – Knowing kids can lead revolutions
Inspiration From Ancestors – Innovating because they dreamed for you
Visionary Hope – Imagining a just and green world
Joy in Teaching Others New Skills – Sharing knowledge freely
Belief in Collective Progress – Knowing we rise together
Gratitude to Ancestors – Thanking those who came before you
Spiritual Peace – Feeling calm in prayer, meditation, or ritual
Courage to Be a Good Ancestor – Living so future generations thank you
Faith in Your People’s Strength – Trusting in Black resilience
Love for Future Children – Acting to protect their world
Sacred Responsibility – Knowing you are chosen to carry culture forward
Emotional Healing Through Ritual – Pouring libation, drumming, chanting
Hope in Global Black Unity – Believing Africa & diaspora will unite
Joy in Cultural Legacy – Smiling knowing you are history in motion
Deep Love for Humanity & Earth – Understanding saving your people means saving the whole planet