As bell hooks said, "To truly be free, we must choose beyond simply surviving adversity, we must dare to create lives of sustained optimal well-being and joy." Research from top organizations (including the CDC, the Department of Education, the NAACP, and Pew Research) shows that if you are Black, this means:
The list goes on and on. These are not fanciful notions blooming inside my own head. These are facts, backed by extensive research. Google it.
When you live in a country that makes it difficult for you to simply exist, bringing joy into your life is a revolutionary act. Especially right now. To be Black and joyful in a world such as ours, this is radical, rebellious, and powerful. Joy is healing. Joy is medicinal. Joy makes life worth living and gives human beings a reason to protest, fundraise, and work to build a better world. Without joy, we wither and give up. Without joy, why bother?
As a Black woman, mother of four kids, and primary breadwinner for my household, here's how I've been creating joy for my family lately:
It can sometimes feel like you're not "allowed" to feel joy — like it's insensitive (or even offensive) to experience the highest heights of joy when so many people are suffering. Like you should postpone joy for another time. Someday in the future. Once things are better.
I disagree.
The miracle of being human is your capacity to experience so many emotions all at once. All within the same day, you can feel anger, frustration, grief, loneliness, hope, pride, and immense joy. You don't have to pick just one emotion. You can feel it all. Including joy. Especially joy. Especially if you are a Black person. And especially now.