Stolen and Forgotten Gifts Series
How Black Boys Learn Vulnerability: It's Impact on their Identity and Adult Romantic Relationships
By Darius P. Coleman, MA, LMHC
COMING SOON!
“He never talks about his feelings.”
Sound familiar?Too often, Black boys are taught to “man up” before they're even allowed to grow up. From classrooms to barbershops, from playgrounds to pews — the spaces meant to raise them also suppress them.In this groundbreaking book, licensed mental health counselor Darius P. Coleman invites us into a powerful, necessary conversation about how Black boys are socialized to suppress vulnerability — and what that costs them in adulthood, especially in their most intimate relationships.Whether you're an uncle, aunt, educator, parent, therapist, partner, or someone who simply cares, this book invites you into Black boyhood and how their villages unintentionally teach emotional disconnection by over-prioritizing value and worth in doing rather than feeling for Black boys and how strength can be found in creating more space rather than limiting it.
This Book is For:
- Anyone who has ever asked, “Why won't he open up?”- Couples navigating emotional disconnection.- Learners who may never enter professional counseling.- Guardians raising Black boys.- Anyone intending to maintain relationships with Black boys and Black men.- Therapists providing culturally-informed therapy to Black men and/ or interracial couples.- Readers ready for honest, intersectional dialogues prioritizing culture and intergenerational healing.-Allies committed to using their privileges to create space for Black vulnerability.
About the Author
Darius P. Coleman, MA, LMHC is a licensed psychotherapist, performance coach, and author based in NYC, with nearly 15 years of experience in child/ adolecent counseling and intersectional trauma, identity, and learned intimacy/ vulnerability in adults. His work helps adults untangle deeply-rooted relational patterns and rebuild trust, intimacy, and identity.Through his practice, KIN Psychotherapy, Darius offers psychotherapy and to adults, families, and couples. His approach prioritizes blunt honesty, collaboration, and saying the quiet parts out loud.He is the author of Stolen and Forgotten Gifts: How Black Boys Learn Vulnerability (Summer 2025), a powerful self-help resource that explores why so many Black boys struggle with emotional expression and vulnerability—and how we each can change that within our respective roles. Darius challenges us to see vulnerability as a skill and a 'stolen' gift he hopes that others can reclaim in ways their ancestors were forced to keep private and in many cases, deny to survive.
Join the Mailing List
Be the first to know when the book drops — and get exclusive early access content and launch bonuses.
Stolen and Forgotten Gifts Series
This book is the first in the Stolen and Forgotten Gifts series—an accessible, culturally-informed collection focused on creating spaces, both environmentally and psychologically, to be seen by self and trusted others for connection and community.
© 2025 Personal Performance, LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in critical reviews or scholarly works.