The dap is the gold standard of Black greetings. It's the "what's good?" and the "how you doing, fam?" that everyone thinks but doesn't need to say.
The all-purpose “mhm” is notorious. Be it to throw shade or to communicate with each other when trying to be discreet, we've made this sound a part of the Black vernacular. Its origins may be cloudy, but Black Southern folks definitely made it a central part of the culture.
A true sign of solidarity, the nod, up or down, is the universal sign of acknowledgment. It’s been a way to acknowledge each other since the days of enslavement when it was wiser to be seen but not heard.
The term "side eye" may have first appeared in works by Shakespeare and Dickens, but we perfected this gaze, which essentially boils down to IKYFL. It doesn't matter that everyone and their mama are doing the side eye now. We are the reigning kings and queens of this look.
You all know that look—the face we make for everything from bombastic-tasting food to straight-up disapproval. The stank face is synonymous with knowing something is about to be excellent or terrible. We have a long history of communicating in our own way. Just make sure you're up to date on the various meanings. We may need it in the future.