The theme for the 2020 ALLI program was New Earth Rise, inspired by the poem For My People by Margaret Walker. Being able to experience and share joy is especially needed online where there is no respite on social media. We have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go, he wrote. One particular Instagram post would remind me that while pain may be a very real part of our experience, it is not our whole story, and finding joy in trying times is not only a radical act its our birthright. She's not even in kindergarten yet, but the toddler already has over 1 million followers. This is especially important when we consider how previous generations and trauma can often necessitate that we showcase strength at all times and take care of others first. The overwhelmingly positive response to an essay written for The Washington Post on Black joy by podcast host Tracey Lewis-Giggetts led to the evolution of a timely collection of intimate, uplifting, and powerful essays that reveal to readers how the quality of joy is ever-present and rooted in self-compassion. When you think of a person as fundamentally angry, or fundamentally aggressive, then its a lot easier to justify hurting that person, or diminishing that persons rights or even killing that person, Graham said. Im grieving. Black joy is an opportunity to use one of the most radical tools we have as Black people: our imagination. According to Factory, it was as simple as gathering the girls and saying Hey, Im not happy with whats going on and I want to do something. Since 1976, the month of February has been recognized in the United States as Black History Month to observe and celebrate the Black diaspora. While watching Disney's "Encanto" with his parents, 2-year-old Kenzo Brooks felt overjoyed when he noticed that the character Antonio looked just like him. The hashtag #blackboyjoy is one of many platforms where we see this in action. If that's not Black joy, then I don't know what is. Being in that room, surrounded by 40 other Black and brown women, was an act of both revolution and resistanceand was also an act of joy and love. And that was a big starting point with Upset Homegirls., Esther Fagbamila, one of the founders of Upset Homegirls, was the catalyst in her organizations formation. It is a way of resting the body, mind, and spirit in response to the traumatic, devastating and life-altering racialized experiences that Black people continue to encounter. Im challenging you to lean all the way into enjoyable moments and to laugh out loud with your entire being. 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As the Arts Corps Social Justice Framework for Teaching Artists notes, Art develops creative and imaginative capacity, which offers new ways of thinking. It was a Black abundance of spirit. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). It was a shift that sent tremors around the world. Black joy rejects the pathology of racism. Events such as Carnival, Robinsons uplifting feed and those London protesters prove that joy and healing are legitimate and effective forms of protesting and resisting. Let a new earth rise. Kleaver Cruz, founder of The Black Joy Project, a digital and real-world movement said that, Black Joy is not dismissing or creating an alternate black narrative that ignores the realities of our collective pain; rather, it is about holding the pain and injusticein tension with the joy we experience. They are slandered, defamed, and discredited in the press. Courtesy of Adobe Stock Another significant ingredient in black joy is the beauty of being in a relationship with one another. ALLI is a leadership development program that trains students to utilize art as a means of combating injustice and envisioning a more equitable future. I get it. And still we believe in America. It just made my heart smile because I do believe that he thought he was seeing himself because of the resemblance between him and Antonio.. I was feeling like physically unwell," she told TODAY. Ive long believed that representation matters always and in all ways, the least of which is in wellness. This is why the act of joy is resistance and as we use our physical bodies to protest, march and demand change, we must also use them to experience the pleasure of joy. One way of doing this is in allyship and solidarity against a future where joy has to be defined in a trauma-inflicted context. Because you cant fight anything without love and I think theres a lot of love thats rooted in Black joy.. Still we vote. Malone brings up a similar idea when she said that its just as important to challenge white supremacy as it is to practice self-love, which leads to joy. Black joy rejects the pathology of racism. How are you encouraging those you are in community with to seek joy and hold onto it fiercely, even in the very darkest hour? Now, as a joy strategist, she works with women and entrepreneurs in transitional phases of life, helping them find joy, purpose and healing and how to rediscover, reconnect and recommit to their identities. Her work combines elements of life coaching and career coaching, with an emphasis on self-help, identity and joy. I resist the lazy thought that Black people will save America. The strong Black woman narrative is one that we are now unlearning as we identify the damaging effects of placing this identity on us. I wanted to give people the space to breathe and not be under constant interrogation. Undaunted, we still believe that one day white people will finally come around and stop being so terrified that we will harm them if the boot is removed from our neck. Black Joy is not dismissing or creating an alternate black narrative that ignores the realities of our collective pain; rather, it is about holding the pain and injusticein tension with the joy we experience. Black Joy is an act of Resistance svg | social protest svg | black svg | African American svg, eps, dxf, png, jpg |INSTANT DOWNLOAD . Watching the 25 ALLI students transformation over 10 weeks was a powerful experience for Jefferson, who said he was inspired by the way they created space for each other to share and learn. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty had her boogie on today. Students participating in the 2018 Arts Liberation and Leadership Institute (ALLI). This remains our burden. When I started to practice this my healing came thru. This idea that Black people can be happy, despite their trauma and history of oppression, is Black joy. And questioning why I want to *specifically praise Black people* is part of the culture that makes that praise necessary. It is active acknowledgement that your reaction to even the most horrific encounter resides with you and not someone else. Whether romantic or platonic, family or friend - humans were made for relationships. [It] was a way of people coming together to heal and say, You know what, were going to be united and were not going to be defeated.. She emphasized that while Black joy is resistance, it is not the full picture. "I started Fashion Bomb Daily in 2006 as a response to what I felt were imbalanced representations of people of color in the media," Sulmers said. ASALH is regarded as an authority on the topic of Black History and the source for themes for the month for many educational and public institutions. Send us asecure tip. Walker line, which they hope will evoke more joy in women of color. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. Your official excuse to add "OOD" (ahem, out of doors) to your cal. Theyre always trying to quiet us down, turn us down. This is an act of charity on our parts. Photoby Amy Pion. In his Tribune column, political columnist Jason Okundaye writes that the governments actions against Black Lives Matter protests were punishment against people who have dared to expose anti-black racial terror as endemic to the governing logic of the carceral state. But Black people, and how they choose to control their bodies, has always been a political matter. Union is also a stepmom to Wade's three older kids Zaire Wade, 20, Zaya, 14, and Xavier, 8 from previous relationships, and this brood has displayed Black joy time and time again. And as Laymon says, our survival and our joy are often linked by circumstances outside our control. Then, in November she posted a pic of her family having a great time together. and stalk off into the night to do violence against their former masters. In 1992, Dr. Mae C. Jemison made history when she boarded the Endeavour and became the first Black woman in space. This past year has felt like a roller coaster of emotions for our people. he wrote on Twitter at the time. - Netgalley reviewer 'It's made apparent right away that Black joy is a fundamental act of resistance - an act of defiance against the ostensible prerequisite for pain before joy that faces the Black British community . Black Joy is an affirmation and an action that claims control where we can. Now that schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, existing inequities have been thrown into sharper relief. "And I just wanted to express my passion for fashion while also showcasing Black excellence in all its various forms through fashion.". She felt desperately unfulfilled, even lost, until she went into business for herself. Amplifying black joy is not about dismissing or creating an alternative black narrative that ignores the realities of our collective pain; rather, it is about holding the pain and injustices we experience as black folks around the world in tension with the joy we experience in pains midst. The Pleasures of Resistance: Enslaved Women and Body Politics in the Plantation South, 1830-1861.The Journal of Southern History68, no. I have good reason though I'm Black and American. To be Black and joyful despite and against all the odds is an act of resistance. The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character. Even on plantations, you could hear us rejoicing. They just do it because they feel like thats whats in their heart. Black joy is about affirming ones beautiful life. Self-care is choosing yourself. 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