Our fellow Americans have tried to extinguish us for centuries now, and yet still we rise. I have good reason though Im Black and American. It takes practice. That joy is an act of resistance against systems of oppression. Cal State Fullerton African American studies professor Mei-Ling Malone explains: "Black joy is an act of resistance. Science fiction stories, especially those aimed at young people, cannot neglect the canon of Black literature. It rejects the idea that violence, injustice, discrimination, prejudice, and dominance over others are normal and acceptable actions. 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. When the millions of enslaved were finally, rightfully freed, they didnt take up pitchforks and. This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxDallasCollege, an independent event. One thing I am not is disappointed because we have been here before, and despite my best wishes for the opposite, Im sure well be here again. Black joy is self-love. I get it. Dance in your living room. "In my 3 years of teaching Ive never had discipline problems because I make sure that all my students feel counted for. Even when you sneeze its embarrassing, Siahpush, acting executive director of Arts Corps, said when recounting the incident. So, bring on the Joy. Its about discovering what makes you feel taken care of and leaning into that. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Even on plantations, you could hear us rejoicing. .". As Maya Angelou once told Oprah, When people show you who they are, believe them. This saying also holds true for countries as well. Her joy doesnt mitigate or erase the negatives in her life or in the world, but it does give her the tools to navigate difficult or impossible moments with grace and strength. Black Joy demonstrates that internal responses are fully within a persons control. "It's the joy for me," Brand wrote in the caption. At the beginning of her essay, Roderique tells us that for Black people, being joyful in public is "an act of resistance" (1). Because you cant fight anything without love and I think theres a lot of love thats rooted in Black joy.. Do what you have to do to find and feel joy. ALLI is a leadership development program that trains students to utilize art as a means of combating injustice and envisioning a more equitable future. Pure unbridled joy. The audacious act of a people dreaming together, imagining together, and building together. The foundation in maximizing the fullest potential of all students is through love and human interaction.". Erica Lasan, BS09 (Metro), deals in joy. That kind of empowering Black Joy gave them the will to hold on and press forward, no matter what situations confronted them. I posted on Instagram that I was craving some#BlackGirlYogaand how it was exactly what my soul needed. The 19th thanks our sponsors. Arts Corps has received 11 grants from the National Endowment for the Arts since 2004 for various multidisciplinary arts projects that aim to close the areas access gap in arts education. Jun. 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. From Black men traveling to young Black boys dancing, with every post, we are reminded that, 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. Still, the numerous ways Black women experience joy and celebration are often overlooked in higher education. It is real. And questioning why I want to *specifically praise Black people* is part of the culture that makes that praise necessary. When people live in a world that devalues them because they are black or brown as well as dismisses their contributions to the larger society, Black Joy is and has been an effective tool that has allowed individuals and groups to shift the impact of negative narratives and events in their favor. Send us asecure tip. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. We cry out for justice. Yes, he has failed gloriously today, the Arts Corps teaching artist facilitating the exercise proclaimed. This year there was a moment that broke the ice around my cold, dead political heart, and it was the sight of Black joy in the face of all this chaos that we call America. I am a Black woman, with a Black husband and a Black son. The self-care movement has been one of those; pivotal in the way it has encouraged us all to take better care of ourselves unapologetically. I think Black joy acknowledges that, alongside whatever else is happening, it acknowledges that we have the full right to feel our emotions, Graham said. Last Valentine's Day, he gifted her with a cute velvet teddy bear that he made by hand and this year, he made her an adorable plush owl that she can take anywhere. We are owed our anger. All of these lead to social changeand social justice. Black rest matters. As online and offline activism arose, this sea of grief would stretch far and wide, weaving into waves of emotions often too heavy to name. I felt it hard. 28 Feb 2023 17:30:48 For Black folks, joy and resistance arent really that separate, Waheed tells me over Zoom. And at some point, we are owed our joy.. Our fellow Americans have tried to extinguish us for centuries now, and yet still we rise. Can you help me?. Graham taught Black Men in America at Cal State Fullerton and asked her students, What does it mean to be a Black man?. Black joy is an opportunity to use one of the most radical tools we have as Black people: our imagination. It is an internal choice that is not a fantasy. She wanted me to be happy if I simply survived. #Vote pic.twitter.com/M4fQgqM6w3, As writer Kiese Laymon once said, My mother conflated survival with joy. Graham referenced Kendrick Lamars 2015 song Alright as an example of powerful art and creative activism. It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community. And still we believe in America. He provides a perfectly painted picture that shows the pain, joy, and triumph of resistance. We are forever grateful to represent the 901.". Justice is denied. I really get it. Like as Black people, we have a lot of trauma from the past. As a Black woman in America, joy takes work. Your official excuse to add "OOD" (ahem, out of doors) to your cal. They would teach dances in parking lots to allow participants to social distance while still experiencing a sense of togetherness during a time of isolation. They can't accompany you to the place you want to go. At the end of their march, they invited everyone to dance while sporting their BLK JOY T-shirts in front of Fullerton City Hall, with carefully curated music from Black artists playing in the background. To be defiant in pursuit of liberation. This is an act of charity on our parts. This idea that Black people can be happy, despite their trauma and history of oppression, is Black joy. Black joy is about affirming ones beautiful life. But if our nation is to have a future, white people better learn to love it as hard as Black America has, despite all the evidence that we shouldnt. Black joy is also important for representation. 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. The keen student of liberty, Thomas Jefferson, reasoned that racial violence would be naturally justified and expected. They also received a $350 stipend from Arts Corps. They have the power to restrict access to their spirits, emotions, and the source of their joy. Whether romantic or platonic, family or friend - humans were made for relationships. In addition to their pathways, students were asked to use creative writing to look internally and tell their own stories. 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. Having a vision that circumvents adverse circumstances was and is an act of defiance and resilience. Message usvia ourwebsite or staff page. Black joy is about "manifesting the joy that you need, deserve, or desire," says Kleaver Cruz of The Black Joy Project. Im grieving. . For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Let another world be born, the last stanza reads. Life brings everyone challenges, disappointments, losses, and unexpected difficulties, regardless of race. Joy isnt a selfish act. I have good reason though I'm Black and American. This remains our burden. Kim Pham is a writing fellow for Voice of OC Arts & Culture. Some people dont go out and start activism to be influencers. I wanted to give people the space to breathe and not be under constant interrogation. "Youre right, growth does look good on me . In this original "melting pot"full of people stolen and transported like goods, coming from African kingdoms, with hundreds of dialects and customsyou could hear rejoicing in the midst of oppression and inequity. As an officer who lived in the community he served, Factory said her grandfather saw how the police treated civilians who werent their neighbors, and that it was one of the reasons why police brutality persisted. Many of these artists had children in those schools and witnessed first-hand how low-income Black students and other students of color were left behind. They tell us youre too loud or youre too bright. IE 11 is not supported. She can be reached at kimhphm@gmail.com. Carolyn Coons is the staff assistant in the Office of Public Affairs at the National Endowment for the Arts. We actually want to go directly to where they live so that they can do art anytime, Siahpush said. Im anxious. "Thank you Dr. Thema Your voice and words has been a pillar of support along the path," one person commented on one of her posts. 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. And so why is black joy so important especially in the world we navigate today? 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. Black joy rejects the pathology of racism. Not to mention the positive impact this will have on the next generation? Where society has told Black people to be quiet, or that were too loud, revelling in joy is an act of resistance. 2023Well+Good LLC. So I think theres this really powerful thing that were saying no, Black people are joyful, theyre not angry.. And I cannot allow that anger and pain to consume me. Every day, under this campaign, there are thousands of posts worldwide showcasing the glory and diversity of it. And deciding like, this is what I need.". Like (106) Share Add 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. It can be found in the big things and the seemingly small. 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. Play. Still we vote. In December, Zaya shared a pic of herself smiling and captioned it "happy" with the yellow-heart emoji. narrative is one that we are now unlearning as we identify the damaging effects of placing this identity on us. "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. In addition to art kits, in the summer of 2020 Arts Corps teaching artists travelled across the Seattle area to perform pop-up concerts. After graduating during the Great Recession, Lasan struggled to find a job at first, before working at a marketing agency and in retail. Rather, Black America carried in our hearts a belief that we could all live together in peace that is, if white people ever learned to act right. Walker, who was the first Black female to become a millionaire in America after she sold her Black hair care products. Black joy, she realized, is not the absence of struggles but the act of perseverance and resilience despite it. "And I just wanted to express my passion for fashion while also showcasing Black excellence in all its various forms through fashion.". All rights reserved. The biggest struggle is healing, letting go of generational trauma, ideals and ideas, says Lasan. Solo travel, dating yourself, and self-discovery are just a few ways to say yes to self-care and are the building blocks of your self-love journey. 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. At the end of the program, the students shared the work they created in a virtual showcase available on the Arts Corps Facebook page. In the summer of 2020, Upset Homegirls co-founder, Brandy Factory said that, Black Joy affirms that I am not a victim. Andrea "Philly" Walls' photos of Black joy can be seen as a visual act of ongoing resistance. We choose it all the time anyway, he told TODAY. Sage's post quickly went viral with the caption: Our rage is undeniably justified however our joy is also necessary.". One in 4 children in the United States is a child of immigrants. Jamison's post went viral. Linked directly to slavery and revolt, carnival-type festivals originating in Trinidad as a form of revolt by slaves are experienced by the Black diaspora globally as a celebration of both freedom and joy. We are all coming together to accomplish this really hard thing that none of us would be able to do on our own, Watkins said. In the notion of choosing it actively and consciously, it then becomes something that you can feel isnt just happening to people. He added: It honestly feels like an ancestral responsibility.. , My mother conflated survival with joy. Black women have been conditioned to live for other people. ALLI is a paid 10-week teen leadership intensive where 25 youth are trained in artistry, social justice, and organizing. The most powerful thing that we can do is experience joy. Since the Black Lives Matter movement, Lance has been running free stretching classes for Black women and non-binary folk as a way to express joy and experience healing. This is an act of charity on our parts. When I look at Zaya, I get hope, he told People in April 2021. Typography Wall Art, Protest Art, Black Lives Matter, Typographic Print, Happy Quotes Wall Art, Joy Quotes ad vertisement by RachelELettering Ad vertisement from shop RachelELettering RachelELettering From shop . What, according to Roderique, is Black joy, and why do we rarely "see it in mainstream media and other spaces" (2)? 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. Ever since we were brought to the US and enslaved, our lives have been subjugated and our freedoms have been regulated, she explains. Studies show that students who receive arts education perform better academically overall and have a greater sense of belonging, making equitable access a vital component of racial justice. Imagining together, imagining together, imagining together, and yet still we.... 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