Ladue celebrates Black Joy

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SHARING BLACK JOY

Black Joy Project inspires people to ask “How do I find Black joy in my life?”

MIKA KIPNIS

news staff

The Black Joy Project, which focuses on embracing the beauty of the Black community, has created an outlet for members to exude pride and strength as the trauma from civil unrest and injustice continues to affect members within the Black community.

An article written by Kleaver Cruz, key founder of the Black Joy Project, describes why the Black Joy movement is so powerful. Cruz states that one must rely on inspiration and positivity in order to counteract the negative impacts traumatic news can have within an individual.

“We have to find a way to balance that trauma, and what better way to do that than with Black joy?” assistant principal Annette Hayes said. “It’s about being able to define our Blackness today, which is always so unique.”

Unlike some mainstream ways of celebrating Black History Month, the Black Joy Project focuses on self reflection, pride and dignity. Because of its unique way of celebrating Black history and the immense impact it has left nationally, it has continued to expand, becoming a revolutionary movement of joy and even gaining international influence.

“That is the big difference,” video technology coordinator Marteana Davidson said. “It’s going from just presenting information to a reflection of ‘how do I feel Black joy in my life?’ and then sharing that out.”

By both honoring the historical trailblazers within Black communities and celebrating current Black joy, the movement has changed what Black History Month includes. Incorporating this movement into the Ladue community has led to more involvement by Ladue students to acknowledge and celebrate Black history in revolutionized ways.

“I love how it makes me feel, as far as being who you are unapologetically,” Davidson said. “It’s an interesting way to look at just being a Black person when you are going through so many different struggles in daily life, like if you experience microaggression, and thinking how you can find joy in that.”

The movement allows for both allies and members of the Black community to share Black joy. Submissions for Ladue students to capture how Black joy is evident in their life can be sent through various media forms — videos, pictures, quotes, selfies, artwork and poems — and will be open until the end of February. A video to showcase how Black joy impacts lives in the Ladue community will be shown during seminar towards the end of February.

“To me, Black joy is a privilege given to the Black to do whatever makes us happy,” senior Nmesoma Ugochukwu said. “I feel that it’s a good movement because [Black allies] really care about what makes us happy. They care about what our joy, pride, dignity and culture is.”

Even as February comes to a close, the value in being able to see Black joy in any aspect of life throughout the year is why creators of this movement believe this unique movement has radiated pride, hope and joy globally. According to both allies and members of the Black community, this movement has become notably one of the most inspiring Black movements, as it connects and captures the greatness of Black people through a powerful way — joy.

“This celebration of Black joy is for everyone,” Hayes said. “We all have Black people in our lives to which we would like to celebrate and capture their greatness. Those pieces of Black joy is something that everyone should be proud to highlight.” p