But this election cycle, something happened, something that was even different than when Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. Like (106) Share Add Something that gives me hope is the solidarity of marginalized communities and the fact that young people understand that they can make change without permission. We uphold their memories as sacred before God. Not to mention the positive impact this will have on the next generation? Black Joy is an act of Resistance svg | social protest svg | black svg | African American svg, eps, dxf, png, jpg |INSTANT DOWNLOAD . A'Lelia Bundles is continuing the legacy of her great-great-grandmother, Madam C.J. Kim Pham is a writing fellow for Voice of OC Arts & Culture. Where society has told us to be quiet, and that were too loud and too different, it is an act of resistance to revel in the joy that they have spent much of history trying to take away from us. While the cries for justice and accountability are still near, so is the need for love, laughter, and, quite frankly, joy. Join ourFacebook discussion. Last weekend, instead of joining the thousands of people protesting in Chicago, I decided to rest. As Maya Angelou once told Oprah, When people show you who they are, believe them. This saying also holds true for countries as well. 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. It is active acknowledgement that your reaction to even the most horrific encounter resides with you and not someone else. It takes strength to say, "This is not going to get the best of me or take me down." My joy is also an act of resistance.. "More black men are needed in the school system!" How are you encouraging those you are in community with to seek joy and hold onto it fiercely, even in the very darkest hour? It is real. To pay homage to her ancestor, Bundles teamed up with Cara Sabin CEO of Sundial Brands, the parent company of MADAM by Madam C.J. Tell us what youre interested in and well send you talks tailored just for you. 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. #GetOutTheVote #SouthFlorida #HBCU #SoulsToThePolls #band #StrollToThePolls #vote #vote2020 #miamigardens #cityofmiamigardens #miami #miamigardensnow #miamidadecounty pic.twitter.com/QXkaQ04WZt, MiamiGardensNow (@MiamiGardensNow) November 1, 2020, 90 years old and shes dancing to the polls for @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris ! On March 7, 1965, when Bland was just 11 years old, she joined her sister and an estimated 600 "foot soldiers" for a planned march from Selma to the state capitol, Montgomery, in support of voting rights. 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. A Black-shaped future. But when race is added to the mix, the situation is compounded exponentially. As Lucille Clifton wrote, Come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed., Bitch Media Editor-in-Chief Evette Dionne put it best in a recentInstagram post: Joy is a revolutionary force. I have good reason though Im Black and American. I posted on Instagram that I was craving some#BlackGirlYogaand how it was exactly what my soul needed. And bring marching bands to sweeten the air: @FLMemorialUniv band showing who they are at North Dade Regional Library, on the last day of early voting. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. Photo by AmyPion. first Black female to become a millionaire, important it is for children of immigrants to get therap. 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And still we believe in America. 1 Changing the Narrative: Equity and Access in the Arts for Black Communities Joy is an Act of Resistance Arts Corps Breaks Down Barriers in Arts Education By Carolyn Coons Arts Corps teaching artists work with students during the 2018 Arts Liberation and Leadership Institute (ALLI). 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As all-consuming and destructive as white supremacy is, it wont win., Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, Real Italians Put Hot Dogs and French Fries on Their Pizza, The Other Drug War: Inside the World of Counterfeit Viagra, The $65 Million Art Heist That Put Oceans Eleven to Shame. Everything that happened, I felt it heavily. As a socially aware and vocal 23-year-old Black woman, my social feed is constantly inundated with inhumane acts of violence towards Black people and disregard for Black life. I get it. Joy isnt a selfish act. 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. I resist the lazy thought that Black people will save America. Factory inherited her passion for justice from her parents, both of whom were involved in protests for their communities. Play. Ever since we were brought to the US and enslaved, our lives have been subjugated and our freedoms have been regulated, she explains. When we acknowledge that we exist in an anti-black world that is set up to ensure we do not live, to choose life and to choose to enjoy any aspect of that life is a radical act, Cruz tells me over Instagram DM. Even when you sneeze its embarrassing, Siahpush, acting executive director of Arts Corps, said when recounting the incident. 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. To make matters worse, I was raised by a political operative, a man who taught me to see past the theater of politics, to ignore the spectacle and the cults of personality, to peer beyond the machinery of politics and keep my eye on whose hands were on the levers of power. Audre Lorde wrote eloquently about how caring for oneself is an act of resistance. The next time an injustice threatens your joy, remember that being Black is not exhausting, systemic racism is exhausting. But amongst the hard-to-define feelings, there was one sentiment the collective community could agree on: While the cries for justice and accountability are still near, so is the need for love, laughter, and, quite frankly, joy. Undaunted, we still believe that one day white people will finally come around and stop being so terrified that we will harm them if the boot is removed from our neck. Jamison's post went viral. Since 1976, the month of February has been recognized in the United States as Black History Month to observe and celebrate the Black diaspora. Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. We actually want to go directly to where they live so that they can do art anytime, Siahpush said. #BlackTwitter because even in the midst of *gestures wildly* all this, we still find reasons to laugh out loud, Twerking to Lizzo in the mirror while I brush my teeth. Members of the Upset Homegirls protested last summer in front of Fullerton City Hall. The biggest struggle is healing, letting go of generational trauma, ideals and ideas," says Lasan. Sulmers clearly achieved her goal, because her blog became so popular that she started Fashion Bomb Daily Shop, a marketplace where Black designers can sell their designs and create generational wealth for their families. Remember these tips to lean into joy when times get tough. Have you ever considered how powerful it is to see positive images of Black people living their best lives and basking in their happiness? So I think theres this really powerful thing that were saying no, Black people are joyful, theyre not angry.. Dr. Engrams Black Joy as an Act of Resistance takes the listener on a journey through the life of Black millennials. In the summer of 2020, Upset Homegirls co-founder, Brandy Factory said that, Black Joy affirms that I am not a victim. Arnold Schwarzenegger Resistance to the organized mass can be effected only by the man who is as well organized in his individuality as the mass itself. Black Joy demonstrates that internal responses are fully within a persons control. In December, Zaya shared a pic of herself smiling and captioned it "happy" with the yellow-heart emoji. 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. Andrea "Philly" Walls' photos of Black joy can be seen as a visual act of ongoing resistance. , My mother conflated survival with joy. Resist the idea that Black folks are only sad people with sad stories; resist any attempt to steal the joy we have died to have. 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. Pure unbridled joy. Black joy is also important for representation. It is an internal choice that is not a fantasy. On Jan. 20, Kamala Harris became the first Black American, Asian American and woman to hold the second-highest office in the U.S. On the same day, 22-year-old Black American poet Amanda Gorman delivered a powerful, joyful composition, and became the youngest inaugural poet in American history. When a nation is implicitly and explicitly intent on destroying you and your son, survival feels like a win. It's the antidote, the balm, to the daily . This is an act of charity on our parts. 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. Just as her mom took to the streets in 1992 to protest at the Los Angeles Rodney King riots, Factory went to Fullerton City Hall on July 4, 2020 to light candles for the Black lives that were lost rather than fireworks for a country that made them victims. Dance in your living room. This is why I celebrate. At the heart of the Black Joy movement is what many scholars, journalists, authors, and others are describing as resistance, resilience, and reclamation of Black Humanity. black joy is loud and quiet, gentle, and strong. Students participating in ALLI could pursue one of three different pathways: music, visual art, or digital storytelling. 5 Key Signs That Indicate Youre Going Through The Menopause, Calling Kate Middleton! 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.. And our hope. 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. I really get it. When I started to practice this my healing came thru. But amongst the hard-to-define feelings, there was one sentiment the collective community could agree on: We are tired. 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. It just made my heart smile because I do believe that he thought he was seeing himself because of the resemblance between him and Antonio.. The hashtag #blackboyjoy is one of many platforms where we see this in action. 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. Zaron Burnett is an investigative journalist and longform features writer based in Los Angeles. BY James Peterson. They also received a $350 stipend from Arts Corps. Carnival is a force for healing, but also resistance. Self-care is choosing yourself. For starters, Zaya, who identifies as transgender, came out to Union and her dad last year. Black America has every right and expectation to galvanize our anger and mistreatment into righteous violence. It was a shift that sent tremors around the world. 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. Heres why, Itweeted: Black joy matters. With each snapshot, we challenge the negative stereotypes the world tries to perpetuate, and we take back our power, by painting our own narrative. Thank you Dr Thema. I think thats also why he took on being a Black Panther as well. Buy now. Black joy, as an act of resistance against white supremacy, takes center stage on Juneteenth. And I cannot allow that anger and pain to consume me. One way of doing this is in allyship and solidarity against a future where joy has to be defined in a trauma-inflicted context. It's honest and it gives [students] a space to be critical, to imagine different ways to live in society, live in a community with one another, live in relationship with our planet, he said. ", Dr. Thema's uplifting posts have helped many people of color on Instagram. The duo collaborated to launch 11 new "damage-defying" products for the MADAM by Madam C.J. But this election cycle, something happened, something that was even different than when, Far more than the gun-toting patriots who spit hate at poll-watchers, its Black America that remains steadfastly loyal to the words of the Constitution. They all matter. Adult/Nontraditional/Part-time Admissions, On Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at FDU. In a 2002 academic article for the Journal of Southern History, titled The Pleasures of Resistance: Enslaved Women and Body Politics in the Plantation South 1830 to 1861, American feminist historian Stephanie MH Camp writes, Just as exploitation, containment, and punishment of the body were political acts, so too was the enjoyment of the body. Though this was written about slavery in the 1800s, the idea that unrestricted joy and freedom expressed by Black people is inherently rebellious still rings true today. ACCEPT, Heres Why Black Joy is an Act of Resistance. 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. We have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go, he wrote. They'll be departing Earth on SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule, and they're not expected to return until six months later, when they finish their mission known as Crew-4. Yes, there were some tears (okay, a lot of tears on my end), but there was something truly special about that spaceseeing each other and uplifting each other. The more powerful, open-minded, resilient, joy-filled and purpose-led citizens in the world, the better, she says. The Beach Is My Happy Placeand Here Are 3 Science-Backed Reasons It Should Be Yours, Too. he recalled on Twitter in March 2021. But Arts Corps adapted quickly to the new reality and has distributed almost 4,000 art kits across South King County to date. There's also the Black Joy movement, sprouted alongside Black Lives Matter, which celebrates the happiness . And yet they believed and knew that there were generations coming after them that would be free. Ive long believed that representation matters always and in all ways, the least of which is in wellness. It takes strength to say, This is not going to get the best of me or take me down. My joy is also an act of resistance. It was a Black abundance of spirit. On his social media accounts, Jonah shows himself making everything from warm blankets to beautiful headbands, and sometimes you might catch him making something cool for his sister, Mercy. Still we vote. 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. Science fiction stories, especially those aimed at young people, cannot neglect the canon of Black literature. It was also the first time that week I was reminded that although sometimes we are tired, we are also laughter, love, and light, and we deserve joy just as much as we deserve justice. Stop. To cope, Sage began searching for the funniest videos she could find of Black people laughing and then she shared her favorites on Instagram. Developing that level of support within Arts Corps as an organization has taken time and practice, Siahpush said. Even on plantations, you could hear us rejoicing. Everything about the laughter was infectious it was black joy personified. And we will determine the outcome because weve gone from picking cotton to picking presidents. pic.twitter.com/8Ndp5oqbx4, Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) November 4, 2020. 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