By Julia Yarbough — 2021
The pandemic was rough for Black and Latina families, but many women in these communities met the challenges head on.
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CLEAR ALL
Black people should not deny themselves spaces where we find joy and wonder—they are too rare in our lives.
Where society has told Black people to “be quiet”, or that we’re “too loud”, revelling in joy is an act of resistance. As our feeds become even more inundated with images of trauma, joy can help us heal, too.
Characterized throughout American history as symbols of crisis, trauma, and grief, these women consistently reject those narratives through world-making of their own.
Amid protests against police brutality and structural racism toward black Americans, some lean into the joy of tradition as resistance.
Black joy isn’t about erasing the difficulties of the Black experience, but showing the whole truth by creating balance, says Kleaver Cruz.
What better way to use Black History Month than as practice for creating a world that demands displays of Black joy and pleasure year-round?
It’s hard to be a joyful Black creative on a good day; to pour your being into beautiful work amid ongoing injustices is already taxing. And during the current unprecedented and uncertain times, reclaiming and protecting that Black joy may feel particularly difficult.
Researchers say we’re wired for joy and what it means for resilience
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If you don’t practice joy, you will not survive this shit.