Black Joy

A timely collection of deeply personal, uplifting, and powerful essays that celebrate the redemptive strength of Black joy--in the vein of Black Girls Rock, You Are Your Best Thing, and I Really Needed This Today. When Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts wrote an essay on Black joy for The Washington Post, she had no idea just how deeply it would resonate. But the outpouring of responses affirmed her own lived experience: that Black joy is not just a weapon of resistance, it is a tool for resilience. With this book, Tracey aims to gift her community with a collection of lyrical essays about the way joy has evolved, even in the midst of trauma, in her own life. Detailing these instances of joy in the context of Black culture allows us to recognize the power of Black joy as a resource to draw upon, and to challenge the one-note narratives of Black life as solely comprised of trauma and hardship. Black Joy is a collection that will recharge you. It is the kind of book that is passed between friends and offers both challenge and comfort at the end of a long day. It is an answer for anyone who needs confirmation that they are not alone and a brave place to quiet their mind and heal their soul.

Black joy is . . . The babble and buzz of the barber shop. Chicken and chips after school with your girls. Stepping foot in your mother country for the very first time. Feeling at one with nature. Learning to cook souse with your mum. Connecting with the only other Black colleague in your workplace. Loving and finding complete happiness in your fatness. Joy surrounds us. It can be found it in the day to day. It's what we live for. So why do we so rarely allow ourselves to revel in it? This must-read anthology is your invitation to do so - and is a true celebration of Black British culture in all its glory. Edited by award-winning journalist, and former gal-dem editor-in-chief, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff and up-and-coming talent Timi Sotire, twenty-eight iconic voices speak on what Black joy means to them in this uplifting and empowering anthology. With essays from: Munya Chawawa -- Leigh-Anne Pinnock -- Diane Abbott -- Jason Okundaye --Bukky Bakray -- Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé -- Lavinya Stennett -- Henrie Kwushue Chanté Joseph -- Travis Alabanza -- Isaac James -- Sophia Tassew -- Lauryn Green -- Melz Owusu -- Timi Sotire -- Fope Olaleye -- Richie Brave -- Tope Olufemi -- Athian Akec -- Mikai Mcdermott -- Ife Grillo -- Rukiat Ashawe -- Mayowa Quadri -- Tobi Kyeremateng -- Haaniyah Angus -- Theophina Gabriel -- Ruby Fatimilehin -- Vanessa Kissule --- "A refreshing and invigorating burst of joy, exploring the beauty in the nuances of our existence, honing in on what propels us forward, and establishing a vital hope" - BOLU BABALOLA, author of Love in Colour "Every bit as joyous as the title suggests'" CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of Queenie "A rich, gorgeous celebration of the power in embracing joy" LIV LITTLE "Black Joy is a delightful celebration of Black Britishness" MASHABLE

During the antebellum period, slave owners weaponized southern Black joy to argue for enslavement, propagating images of “happy darkies.” In contrast, abolitionists wielded sorrow by emphasizing racial oppression. Both arguments were so effective that a political uneasiness on the subject still lingers. In The Politics of Black Joy, Lindsey Stewart wades into these uncomfortable waters by analyzing Zora Neale Hurston’s uses of the concept of Black southern joy. Stewart develops Hurston’s contributions to political theory and philosophy of race by introducing the politics of joy as a refusal of neo-abolitionism, a political tradition that reduces southern Black life to tragedy or social death. To develop the politics of joy, Stewart draws upon Zora Neale Hurston’s essays, Beyoncé’s Lemonade, and figures across several disciplines including Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, Toni Morrison, Angela Davis, Saidiya Hartman, Imani Perry, Eddie Glaude, and Audra Simpson. The politics of joy offers insights that are crucial for forming needed new paths in our current moment. For those interested in examining popular conceptions of Black political agency at the intersection of geography, gender, class, and Black spirituality, The Politics of Black Joy is essential reading.

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FIVE STARRED REVIEWS Celebrate the joys of Black boyhood with stories from seventeen bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors—including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Kwame Mbalia. ★ "Pick up Black Boy Joy for a heavy dose of happiness." —Booklist, starred review Black boy joy is… Picking out a fresh first-day-of-school outfit. Saving the universe in an epic intergalactic race. Finding your voice—and your rhymes—during tough times. Flying on your skateboard like nobody’s watching. And more! From seventeen acclaimed Black male and non-binary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood. Contributors include: B. B. Alston, Dean Atta, P. Djèlí Clark, Jay Coles, Jerry Craft, Lamar Giles, Don P. Hooper, George M. Johnson, Varian Johnson, Kwame Mbalia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Tochi Onyebuchi, Julian Randall, Jason Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, DaVaun Sanders, and Julian Winters

Self-Acceptance, Anti-Racism, and Affirmations for Teens #1 New Release in Teen & Young Adult Social Activist Biographies “M.J. Fievre is the best friend, the confidante everyone yearns for.” —Mike, the Poet, author of Dear Woman and The Boyfriend Book From the bestselling author of Badass Black Girl comes a much-needed space for Black teens and kids to say “I am enough.” In this self-acceptance guidebook for teen boys, be empowered by 52 weeks of Black self-love and anti-racism lessons, affirmations for positive thinking, and prompts for Black Boy Joy. A Black male handbook for self-care.Black & Resilient includes prompts for teens to reflect and divulge what they're feeling on a deeper level. It comes with mind-strengthening affirmations for teens, stories of truth and power, and practices to teach Black teen boys how to stay empowered despite what life throws at them. This Black confidence book is a catalyst for change and healing to enter the heart and spirit of Black teens everywhere. Part of the Bold & Black series for Black self-love and antiracism. The Bold & Black series is specifically designed to help Black teens create a safe space to be themselves. The world often forgets that Black boys also need affirmations and words of empowerment to get through the day. Black & Resilient seeks to give Black teens the space to heal, find Black Boy Joy, and become empowered to walk boldly in their everyday lives. Inside, you’ll find: Instruction for gaining perspective, freedom, and power in the face of macro- and microaggressions A safe place to acknowledge how racism affects you and create coping strategies to combat it Encouragement for living your best life as a BIPOC person with self-acceptance and confidence If you liked Black confidence and anti-racism books for boys like This Book is Anti-Racist Journal, Cry Like a Man, or 39 Lessons for Black Boys & Girls, you’ll be empowered by Black & Resilient.

A child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem about a people, a culture, a history, and a legacy that lives on. Red is a rainbow color. Green sits next to blue. Yellow, orange, violet, indigo, They are rainbow colors, too, but My color is black . . . And there’s no BLACK in rainbows. From the wheels of a bicycle to the robe on Thurgood Marshall's back, Black surrounds our lives. It is a color to simply describe some of our favorite things, but it also evokes a deeper sentiment about the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and thrive. Stunningly illustrated by Caldecott Honoree and Coretta Scott King Award winner Ekua Holmes, Black Is a Rainbow Color is a sweeping celebration told through debut author Angela Joy’s rhythmically captivating and unforgettable words. An ALSC Notable Children's Book 2021 An NCTE 2021 Notable Poetry Book A 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Book of the NCSS/CBC A New York Public Library Best Book of 2020 A Washington Post Best Book of 2020 A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year A 2020 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honoree

While watching a Black Lives Matter protest on the news, Joy notices that her parents are wearing the same t-shirts as the protesters. She looks at her father and asks, "Daddy, why are we Black when our skin is brown?" This question sparks a family conversation where Joy's father explains the origins of race, as the family is transported into the protest march, and they walk through their community looking at the murals that they pass. Black Joy: A healthy conversation about race is a follow-up to "Daddy Why Am I Brown?" A healthy conversation about skin color and family. We pick up two years after Joy talks to her dad about skin color. Through Black Joy, we continue that conversation by directly addressing the concept of race from an age-appropriate perspective. Joy learns about the social rationale for inventing the idea of race. She also learns why it is important for Blackness to be transformed from a sign of oppression to an identity built of strength and resilience.

Joy Unspeakable focuses on the aspects of the Black church that point beyond particular congregational gatherings toward a mystical and communal spirituality not within the exclusive domain of any denomination. This mystical aspect of the black church is deeply implicated in the well-being of African American people but is not the focus of their intentional reflection. Moreover, its traditions are deeply ensconced within the historical memory of the wider society and can be found in Coltrane's riffs, Malcolm's exhortations, the social activism of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama. The research in this book-through oral histories, church records, and written accounts--details not only ways in which contemplative experience is built into African American collective worship but also the legacy of African monasticism, a history of spiritual exemplars, and unique meditative worship practices. A groundbreaking work in its original edition, Joy Unspeakable now appears in a new, revised edition to address the effects of this contemplative tradition on activism and politics and to speak to a new generation of readers and scholars.