"I was like, let me put this together and share so that other people can feel something lighter during this time of darkness," she said. Brand continues to post adorable photos of her son smiling on Instagram like when she shared a collage of photos of Kenzo making faces on Feb. 4 or her January 11 post of Kenzo riding a scooter. And still we believe in America. Forty-five years later in the middle of a pandemic, Black History Month returns with the activism of the Black Lives Matter movement and a newfound urgency for social change. She emphasized that while Black joy is resistance, it is not the full picture. Have you ever considered how powerful it is to see positive images of Black people living their best lives and basking in their happiness? When I look at Zaya, I get hope, he told People in April 2021. With hair flying and Nike pouches swinging, in the middle of a collective outpouring of grief and anger, here were people taking a moment of joy to bask in the beauty of what it means to be Black both the pain and the celebration. I was in my room [kind of] bored in quarantine [and] one of the things I wanted to do was organise my iPhone camera roll. They just do it because they feel like thats whats in their heart. We uphold their memories as sacred before God. This is why I celebrate. Its about honoring our humanity, in the fullness of what it means to be alive and to be human, Graham said. Still, the numerous ways Black women experience joy and celebration are often overlooked in higher education. The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character. With that said, some essential practices tend to unite us. The organizations Arts Liberation and Leadership Institute (ALLI), a 10-week after-school program for teens funded in part by an Arts Endowment grant, is one of the programs that was conducted entirely via Zoom this past fall. It takes our community, and between all of the different identities that exist in our Arts Corps ecosystem, it takes trust to be able to have authentic and meaningful moments where somebody may have a real learning moment, and that they still walk away feeling cared for and loved., Arts Corps Breaks Down Barriers in Arts Education. 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. "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. When a nation is implicitly and explicitly intent on destroying you and your son, survival feels like a win. The keen student of liberty, Thomas Jefferson, reasoned that racial violence would be naturally justified and expected. A quick Google search of yoga instructors will result in pages full of thin, white women, which, to be honest, is not all that relaxing for me. Throughout all civil rights agendas in history, Black people could be partially, if not fully, credited with integrating music into their protests, according to Cal State Fullerton African American studies professor Natalie Graham. With each snapshot, we challenge the negative stereotypes the world tries to perpetuate, and we take back our power, by painting our own narrative. In the generation before her parents, Factorys grandfather was simultaneously a member of the Black Panther Party and a proud Los Angeles police officer during the 1980s. Adult/Nontraditional/Part-time Admissions, On Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at FDU. Join the conversation:In lieu of comments, we encourage readers to engage with us across a variety of mediums. Black joy is about affirming ones beautiful life. In May 2020, the news of George Floyd's death sparked Black Lives Matter protests around the world. Yet that threat of violence never materialized. Like other communities, Black folks, of course, feel tremendous pain, outrage, sorrow and depression, and we struggle with our mental health. Join ourFacebook discussion. Its one of the reasons I was attracted toStarshine & Clay, a yoga retreat for women of color, where I met Dr. Roberts two years ago. In it, I saw my own joy. It was a shift that sent tremors around the world. The scene is more poignant still when considering the way the UK government has attempted to criminalise Black Lives Matter protesters through fast-track prosecutions. Andrea "Philly" Walls' photos of Black joy can be seen as a visual act of ongoing resistance. But there is also a necessary longing and practice of joy, Malone said. When the millions of enslaved were finally, rightfully freed, they didnt take up pitchforks and blunderbuss and stalk off into the night to do violence against their former masters. Its a part of everything. And in her pursuit of the happiness that was lost due to Americas current political climate, Fagbamila and her friends created Upset Homegirls to help serve their communities while also teaching, spreading and displaying joy. Everything about the laughter was infectious it was black joy personified. Adreinne Waheed, photographer and author of the photo book Black Joy and Resistance documents, in its purest form, that the essence of happiness and enjoyment are inextricably linked to resistance. She can be reached at kimhphm@gmail.com. This past year has felt like a roller coaster of emotions for our people. TED Conferences, LLC. Watkins is currently getting ready for her journey into space as tensions continue to arise between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine. I wanted to give people the space to breathe and not be under constant interrogation. We deserve quality care, we deserve to be seen.. And like an old cassette tape, the world presses stop, rewind, and play. As Lasan transitioned away from the work she thought she should be doing eschewing expectations and higher paychecks in favor of creativity and meaning she realized, I should just do things that make me feel good. And she knew that other people needed a guide, or even permission, to do the same. So, bring on the Joy. Black Joy is finding the positive nourishment within self and others that is a safe and healing place. And at some point, we are owed our joy.. We need it as much as we need anger because it is joy that will help keep us in these bodies long enough to enact justice. This also, though, powers our collective belief in the future in our future. Chante Joseph, What Black Joy MeansAnd Why Its More Important Than Ever, British Vogue, July 29, 2020. When I started to practice this my healing came thru. Dont get it twisted, Im upset. [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.. The Pleasures of Resistance: Enslaved Women and Body Politics in the Plantation South, 1830-1861.The Journal of Southern History68, no. Its about using that joy as an entry into understanding the oppressive forces we navigate through as a means to imagine and create a world free of them.Black Joy is an affirmation and an action that claims control where we can. I am so proud of myself. Jun. Simply put: Our existence is resistance. The constant access to trauma lives inside us and manifests in ways that are not always easy to spot, slowly etching away at our peace. No. Anyone who has endured awkward preteen years understands that middle school embarrassment is particularly acutethats why Carrie Siahpush winced as she watched a sixth-grade student trip and fall during an Arts Corps acting exercise last year. Because you cant fight anything without love and I think theres a lot of love thats rooted in Black joy.. Black joy is an opportunity to use one of the most radical tools we have as Black people: our imagination. And so when I think about Black joy, I really think about this process of making sure that we are good matches for today, but for the future. black joy is loud and quiet, gentle. Black joy is self-love. As our feeds become even more inundated with images of trauma, joy can help us heal, too. Wideman Davis Dance Gives Voice to Enslaved Blacks with "Migratuse Ataraxia", Cave Canem Creates a New Landscape for Black Poetry, A Commissioning Project to Commemorate the Tulsa Race Massacre, Using Design to Help a Community Reclaim Its History, Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, Independent Film & Media Arts Field-Building Initiative, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), National Endowment for the Arts on COVID-19, Changing the Narrative: Equity and Access in the Arts for Black Communities. 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. Its about discovering what makes you feel taken care of and leaning into that. Most of my feed was Black pain and trauma so seeing Black people laughing, experiencing pure unfiltered joy is so valuable. Explain what she means by this. She's not even in kindergarten yet, but the toddler already has over 1 million followers. 4 Mistakes That Are Causing You to Waste Money on Skin-Care Serums, According to an Esthetician, These Are the Best Anti-Chafing Denim ShortsAccording to Some Very Happy Reviewers. And still we believe in America I've always been cynical about politics. As a Black woman in America, joy takes work. In moments of doubt, frustration, pain and anger, Lasan leans on the joy she finds in her work and in her family. We are diverse in the ways we experience true happiness, and that variety is a necessary reminder that we are not homogenous as a culture. Walker, I think it's empowering for women of all ages," Bundles added. Upset Homegirls of Fullerton is an activist organization that emerged last summer amid the plethora of Black Lives Matter protests in Orange County and nationwide. Having grown up connected to her familys history of activism, service and an unfaltering dedication to fight for ones people, Factory protests today with the understanding that the police are not going to protect her community, just as they didnt her parents nor her grandfathers. he wrote on Twitter at the time. I was having trouble sleeping. I have good reason though Im Black and American. We literally have the ability to create what does not yet exist that we need," he said. Why its more Important Than ever, British Vogue, July 29, 2020 followers. 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