BLK, the leading dating and social app for Black singles, announces the launch of its new campaign, #BLKMenSmile, aimed at encouraging Black men to embrace their joy and express their full selves in dating profile pictures.

About #BLKMenSmile

#BLKMenSmile addresses a key finding: over 70% of Black men don’t smile in their profile photos, often due to societal standards, perceptions of masculinity, and cultural pressures that can stifle the authentic expression of joy.

“The #BLKMenSmile campaign is about challenging the norms that hold Black men back from expressing their joy. We want to show that a smile isn’t just an act of positivity — it’s a powerful expression of self-love, confidence, and authenticity,” said Jonathan Kirkland, Head of Brand & Marketing at BLK.

Uplifting Black men’s smiles

#BLKMenSmile is centered around an inspiring campaign video and creative images that uplift Black men’s smiles in all their forms.

The campaign’s centerpiece is a brand video featuring the smiles of over 50 Black men of all ages and backgrounds. The video highlights diverse smiles, merging seamlessly from one face to another. It begins with the statistic about how few Black men smile in their dating profile pictures, and then progresses to uplifting quotes about Black joy, smiles, and self-expression.

The video closes with a call to action for Black men to update their BLK profile photos with pictures of them smiling, inviting them to join the movement and show their joy to the world.

Partnership with Express Yourself Black Man

BLK is partnering with Express Yourself Black Man, a digital platform committed to showcasing positive Black male expression, mental health, and cultural empowerment. These partnerships will play a pivotal role in amplifying the reach of #BLKMenSmile by sharing the campaign’s content, encouraging their communities to participate, and sparking broader conversations around Black men’s joy, self-love, and expression.

As part of the initiative, BLK is launching a call to action pledge encouraging all Black men to change their social and dating app profile pictures to images of them smiling, embracing the beauty and power of their authentic joy. BLK encourages its community to use the hashtag #BLKMenSmile across social media and join a growing network of Black men who are breaking down stereotypes, embracing their joy, and showing the world their beautiful smiles.

For more information, please visit: https://www.blk-app.com/

Amazon MGM Studios and Orion Pictures has released the official trailer for the Nickel Boys, a new film starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

About Nickel Boys

Based on the book “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.

“Elwood Curtis’s college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he’s sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King’s burnished oratory. Despite Nickel’s brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.”

The film will be in select theaters only on October 25.

Check out the trailer

couchdate is a hub for black and brown creatives to enjoy events like live shows and vinyl listening parties. The lease with the current owner ends in three months leaving the business in limbo. Leaders of ‘couchdate’ have started a GoFundMe to find a new space.

“This fundraising effort is not just about growing our business but stabilizing downtown Oakland. It’s about showing that brown and black businesses have a chance,” the fundraiser reads.

About couchdate

couchdate is a restoration project of building community and culture. Through rethinking on how they use space, music, and art, couchdate has been centering brown and black creatives in Oakland for the last 4 years.

This reshaping has taken the form of intentional events like vinyl listening parties (styled after Japanese jazz kissas [cafes]), artist pop-ups, and intimate live shows. This curation has been a rare opportunity for local artists and our diverse community to connect.

Funding the initiative

The cost of doing business in the Bay Area is one of the highest in the nation. Keeping their events affordable and accessible while fairly paying employees has been a delicate balancing act.

With over 10,000 followers on Instagram and many sold-out events, they’ve been able to connect people from all walks within their diverse Bay Area community.

While couchdate is designed to center brown and black people and their art, it is not about keeping anyone out. They are inclusive and intentional, not exclusive, redesigning spaces with social injustices, inclusivity, and wellness in mind.

“With this philosophy couchdate has built deep ties within our local community. It’s the same community that has bolstered us through the many transitions, pivots, and hard times that brown and black business owners are far too familiar with,” the GoFundMe reads.

They are now looking to reach out beyond the community that has been supporting them throughout their entire existence.

couchdate is moving from pop-ups to a hopefully permanent restaurant/bar space in the heart of downtown Oakland. They are looking to raise $300,000. $160k for the purchase of Slug Bar LLC and $140k of operating costs for the next 3 years. They plan to use the space as a Hifi Bar + Community Space.

For more information about couchdate and to donate to their cause, please visit the GoFundMe.