Cliff Leek - Boy oh Boy: From boys to men, be inspired by 30 coming-of-age stories of sportsmen, artists, politicians, educators and scientists

The phrase boys will be boys has bothered me for a long time. I usually hear the phrase used when boys misbehave. We say BOYS WILL BE BOYS when boys and men act out, dont listen, or hurt others. We say it as if these behaviors are exactly what we should expect.

But we can expect more. Phrases like boys will be boys set us up to think about boys in narrow and limited ways, so it is incredibly important for us to tell the stories of people who have defied those expectations. It is important that we tell the stories of boys and men who do things like care deeply about others, stand up for what is right, and express themselves in creative and exciting ways.

This book tells some of those stories. Through the lives of 30 people, this book aims to show that there are countless ways to be boys and men beyond what we think when we hear boys will be boys. These stories need to be shared so that everyone growing into manhood or living alongside growing boys and men can recognize that there is no one way to be a man .

Instead of a single model of how a boy can grow into a man, this book offers 30 stories of people whose lives demonstrate that there are endless possibilitiesthat boys and men can do and be so much more than what we think of when we say things like boys will be boys.

So, turn the page to discover a world of inspirational change-makers, teachers, peacemakers, artists, and more.

It is my hope that as you read this book you find yourself thinking BOY OH BOY because your idea of what it means to be a boy or man just got a little broader, or boy oh boy because you found an example of a boy or a man that you can look up to.

Dr. Cliff Leek

Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Northern Colorado

BORN : JULY 9, 1937

David Hockney is a painter, printmaker, and photographer.

David was born in Bradford, England in 1937. He was interested in art from a young age, especially the greats such as Picasso and Matisse. In fact, when he was a kid he was often caught drawing cartoons in Sunday School.

Even as he got older David often doodled and daydreamed in classes and his grades slipped because of it. But, he knew that art was what he wanted to do. So he started working to be transferred to an art school. His parents encouraged him, and he finally got his wish at age 16.

He made many friends at art school but dedicated most of his attention to his work. After getting his diploma, he was accepted into the Royal College of Art in London a huge honor! While he was there he worked to develop his own painting style and started getting attention from art critics and buyers. He even won a gold medal from the RCA in 1962.

Inspired by the Hollywood movies of his childhood, he moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1964. He was bewitched by Los Angeles, with its sunny weather, stunning houses, and deep blue swimming pools. So much so, that he created a whole series of swimming pool paintings, including one called A BIGGER SPLASH . He used a new kind of paint, acrylic, in these paintings and made them very bright, capturing the California sunshine on the water.

David also used his art to share something important about himself. Through paint, he told the world that he was gay: he loved men. His art told people it was okay to be gay. This was a very brave thing to do in the 1960s, because there was a lot more discrimination against gay men at that time.

David has been honored with a number of awards for his amazing artistry. He is an example of a person who worked very hard to pursue his dreams and become the best artist he could be. He is successful because he stayed true to what and who he loved.

What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something.

BORN : JANUARY 17, 1942 DIED : JUNE 3, 2016

Muhammad Ali was a boxing champion and civil rights activist.

When Muhammad Ali was born, his name was Cassius Clay. Cassius grew up with his parents and younger brother in Louisville, Kentucky. His father painted signs for a living and his mother was a cleaner. Cassius experienced a lot of discrimination when he was a young boy, because he was African American, at a time when Kentucky was racially segregated. Segregation meant that white and black people were separated.

When Cassius was 12 years old, someone stole his prized possession: his new red-and-white bicycle. He was upset, and went to tell local police officer, Joe Martin. The police officer happened to run a boxing gym, and offered to teach him how to fight. Cassius joined Joes gym and started to learn how to box. He worked hard, and quickly became a very good boxer, winning his first fight in 1954. Six years later, when he was 18 years old, he became an Olympic gold medalist.

In 1961 Cassius became involved in a religion called The Nation of Islam, and in 1964 he changed his name to MUHAMMAD ALI to match his beliefs. Muhammad means beloved of God or worthy of praise in Arabic.

1964 was also the year that Muhammad became Heavyweight Champion of the World, conquering his opponents with revolutionary techniques, smart strategy and poetic talk.

But even though he was now considered one of the best boxers in the world, Muhammad used his fame to speak out on many important issues he cared about fighting with words instead of his body. One of the issues he spoke out about was racism. Muhammad was proud of his heritage as an African American, and he became a symbol of pride and resistance for many people.

Muhammad also spoke out against the Vietnam War. In 1966, he refused to be drafted into the US military because he believed the war was unjust and against his beliefs. However, in 1967, he was arrested for refusing to fight in the war. He was not allowed to box again for almost four years.

Muhammad was punished for standing up for what he believed in but he was fearless. It never stopped him from doing what he felt was right.

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.

Float like a butterfly sting like a bee.

BORN : JULY 18, 1918 DIED : DECEMBER 5, 2013

Nelson Mandela was the first black president of South Africa.