Black Joy Part 2: Finding Ways to Engage in Black Joy
In the words of the great poet Toi Derricotte, “Black joy is a form of resistance”, implicit in that statement is that joy is a choice. Black joy means embracing and appreciating Blackness in its authenticity and fullness, which is critical to instilling a healthy sense of identity. In the black community, we have been conditioned to believe that joy is a low priority in life. As a result, we go through our lives fiercely adulting only to find that we have “lived” or celebrated in short bursts on special occasions (if we are lucky). Well, it’s time to get out of survival mode and shift into the thriving season!
Black Joy first lives within. It begins with the mindset and the ability to adapt your thinking to the intended goal… Joy. To reimagine the context of black joy we must deprogram our thoughts and learned behaviors about compartmentalizing joy and find opportunities to create black joy in our respective lives and the lives of our children. Here are a few ways we can engage in black joy consistently:
Practice Self Care- Black Joy starts with you and your healing journey. Invest quality time in yourself by getting to know yourself. Journal, pray, meditate, read, exercise, drink water, make healthy eating decisions, manage your energy input and output, budget, rest, travel, or engage in regular massage therapy. Nourish yourself intentionally as it sets the tone for how others will perceive and receive you.
Spread Black Joy- When you deliberately make joy a personal priority, your mindset would challenge you to apply that feeling. Black joy is contagious! Compliment people, do good deeds, be supportive of your circle in ways that do not deplete you, and most importantly SMILE. It’s quiet for the resting b**ch face, joy is choosing to normalize a soft lifestyle in every interaction and aspect of your world.
Educate Yourself- Learn about your history in a way that contributes to your black pride. The world wouldn’t be the same without black people. We are the creatives, true enlightenment thinkers, artists, musicians, fashion icons, politicians, architects, and engineers that make our society function. Read articles or books about black opulence, listen to podcasts that affirm your blackness, check out art exhibits, or watch documentaries about our achievements. Adapt the Ghanaian principle of Sankofa of remembering the past to make positive progress in the future to your daily living.
Celebrate Black- In the words of the great prophetess Issa Rae “we are still rooting for everybody BLACK!” Promote and support local black businesses until they become the new normal. Representation matters, immerse yourself in a world where you see windows and mirrors of blackness to boost your black pride and joy in your identity. So that means reading, watching, listening, wearing, eating, and patronizing BLACK! That’s right y’all be Black, Blackity, Black unapologetically!
Book Baes we encourage you to be persistent in seeking out black joy. It is a revolutionary way of living. We want all of our Baes to have soul-satisfying emotional well-being and it starts with BLACK JOY!! This BLACK JOY REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED as we continue to lift each other up in this space we call home…BOOK CLUB MAGIC ✨!
XXX,
Bella 💋