Yet that threat of violence never materialized. Another significant ingredient in black joy is the beauty of being in a relationship with one another. I think thats also why he took on being a Black Panther as well. Where society has told Black people to be quiet, or that were too loud, revelling in joy is an act of resistance. 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. After all, if we can believe in the future of America with our full heart and humanities, then anyone can. Theres so many different ways that Black joy can be spread, Odd said. Larson taught himself how to crochet when he was 5 years old, and his unique designs and hard work have earned him a massive following on social media and a successful business known as Jonahs Hands. Making sure that we are able to step into our power.". About Voice of OC: Mission | Editorial Policies| Contact Us | Funding| Privacy Policy. Browse the library of TED talks and speakers, 100+ collections of TED Talks, for curious minds, Go deeper into fascinating topics with original video series from TED, Watch, share and create lessons with TED-Ed, Talks from independently organized local events, Inspiration delivered straight to your inbox, Take part in our events: TED, TEDGlobal and more, Find and attend local, independently organized events, Learn from TED speakers who expand on their world-changing ideas, Recommend speakers, TED Prize recipients, Fellows and more, Rules and resources to help you plan a local TEDx event, Bring TED to the non-English speaking world, Join or support innovators from around the globe, TED Conferences, past, present, and future, Details about TED's world-changing initiatives, Updates from TED and highlights from our global community, Dr. Frederick Engram Jr. TEDxDallasCollege. There are things that have been unresolved in our family and within our community. 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. I think that is just such a beautiful picture of what we can all do if we come together and put all of our resources and skill sets together.. Arts Corps teaching artist Adam Jabari Jefferson led the digital storytelling pathway and served as the social justice lead for the program. 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.. National Museum of African American History & Culture, Celebrating Black Joy as an Alternative Form of Resistance and Reclaiming of Humanity (voiceofoc.org), Black Joy: Resistance, Resilience and Reclamation. 2023Fairleigh Dickinson University, All Rights Reserved. At the end of the program, the students shared the work they created in a virtual showcase available on the Arts Corps Facebook page. They also received a $350 stipend from Arts Corps. To choose joy is to say that regardless of years of systemic oppression, unfair disadvantages, and everything life may try to throw your way, in the words of the late Maya Angelou Still I Rise.. 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They tell us youre too loud or youre too bright. Its not our job to save this country anyway. As Black people continue to fight for justice against police brutality, discrimination, institutionalized racism, and more, Kleaver Cruz of the " Black Joy Project " is just one of many who have been encouraging Black people to choose joy as a form of resistance. But this election cycle, something happened, something that was even different than when Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. 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. As a way to celebrate Black history this month, TODAY is here to share 10 exceptional people who are exemplifying Black joy while uplifting their communities. "In my 3 years of teaching Ive never had discipline problems because I make sure that all my students feel counted for. One of the ways it does this is by affirming our humanity. But we can, and should, share our personal experiences. 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. It is embracing our varied expressions of happiness. , My mother conflated survival with joy. But no matter how famous Jamison gets, he says that he'll still greet his kids with a "dope" handshake every chance he gets. Arts Corps teaching artists work with students during the 2018 Arts Liberation and Leadership Institute (ALLI). Its a part of everything. Because when we fight bad politics, we prefer to fight them with music and joy: Dear Mr. Oscars I've found your best picture of the year. I realised that people need to see this; my timeline needs this right now.. If the lockdown period has shown us anything, its to treasure these moments, but similarly, happiness can also be found in solitude. Its about discovering what makes you feel taken care of and leaning into that. It rejects the idea that violence, injustice, discrimination, prejudice, and dominance over others are normal and acceptable actions. While the cries for justice and accountability are still near, so is the need for love, laughter, and, quite frankly, joy. There was, however, no teasing, taunting, or laughter. It is a really nice way to build a sense of belonging with young people and also within the families, Siahpush said. When a nation is implicitly and explicitly intent on destroying you and your son, survival feels like a win. We deserve quality care, we deserve to be seen.. Amid the civil unrest, ignited by multiple Black deaths related to police brutality and racial discrimination, is a sense of loss and a need for joy. Dance in your living room. It is real. The keen student of liberty, Thomas Jefferson, reasoned that racial violence would be naturally justified and expected. The more powerful, open-minded, resilient, joy-filled and purpose-led citizens in the world, the better, she says. Pure unbridled joy. The idea of Black joy as a movement and a form of rebellion has been taking root. Black joy is about affirming ones beautiful life. "My response remains the same, you dont have to physically touch a child to actually 'touch' a child. This talk will give viewers a birds eye view into what it means to be Black, millennial, and socially conscious. Watkins is currently getting ready for her journey into space as tensions continue to arise between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine. As long as there has been racial oppression, there has also been resistance and Black joy.. Against all of this, however, Black Americans have remained defiant, indefatigable and unsinkable. Self-care is choosing yourself. Dr. Engrams Black Joy as an Act of Resistance takes the listener on a journey through the life of Black millennials. "I think that for me, and for us, it made us feel like therere so many people that echoed the same sentiments that we felt in that moment that our child was being seen, she said. Carl Jung Every day, under this campaign, there are thousands of posts worldwide showcasing the glory and diversity of it. Most of my feed was Black pain and trauma so seeing Black people laughing, experiencing pure unfiltered joy is so valuable. And we all know that having a strong family community around a school is what has the best academic outcomes., Students at Mount View Elementary School in Seattle, Washington, participate in an Arts Corps class. Walker uses the refrain For my people to describe the centuries of oppression Black Americans have enduredand their struggle for freedom. The foundation in maximizing the fullest potential of all students is through love and human interaction.". As Maya Angelou once told Oprah, When people show you who they are, believe them. This saying also holds true for countries as well. It is not delusional. In May 2020, the news of George Floyd's death sparked Black Lives Matter protests around the world. Staff go to school, low-income housing, and free meal sites to give out the kits, removing as many barriers to access as possible. For Black folks, joy and resistance arent really that separate, Waheed tells me over Zoom. Other than getting therapy, adequate sleep, and practicing self-care like Maysa Akbar, author of Urban Trauma: A Legacy of Racism, suggests Cruz notes that it can also be helpful to choose Black joy to get your mental health back on track. Black joy, as an act of resistance against white supremacy, takes center stage on Juneteenth. Building this type of supportive community is essential to Arts Corps mission: providing arts education to K-12 students in South Seattle and South King County, Washington, where race is the greatest predictor of whether or not a student has access to arts education. 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. [Carnival] came out of something so tragic, after Kelso Cochrane, an aspiring lawyer, was murdered in a racist attack on the streets, she tells me over Zoom about the existence of Notting Hill Carnival as a joyful form of resistance. "Black joy is an essential part of Black cultural expression," said Nsenga Burton, a film and media professor at Emory University. Our fellow Americans have tried to extinguish us for centuries now, and yet still we rise. Brand took a cute picture of the moment and shared it on social media in December 2021. 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. Everything that happened, I felt it heavily. In the summer of 2020, Upset Homegirls co-founder, Brandy Factory said that, Black Joy affirms that I am not a victim. So, look after yourself, hug your loved ones extra tight and take that solo trip because today, tomorrow, and every day after that, black joy is necessary. #Vote pic.twitter.com/M4fQgqM6w3, As writer Kiese Laymon once said, My mother conflated survival with joy. 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