By: Marsalis Anderson (’24), Outreach & PR
In the Black community, we talk a lot about our collective negative experiences. At times, it can seem like all of our conversations center around these difficult moments. While we should emphasize our community’s hardships, we should also focus on the positivity and joy that Blackness gives us. Every day, we wake up Black and we are blessed to be a unique light that shines on the world. A large portion of popular culture is impacted by Black people and the light that we all collectively possess. Through this light, we show how special and blessed we are to be Black. Here are some recent examples of this light–Black joy–shining in the world!
Sports
This past year in sports put a lot of Black joy on display. Whether it was Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrating his first NBA championship or Tim Anderson hitting a walk-off home run in the Field of Dreams game, our joy was shown in many ways! Even off the court, field, pitch, etc, Black athletes have prioritized themselves and have taken breaks from their sport for their mental health. Kyrie Irving, Naomi Osaka, and Simone Biles are just a few examples of athletes who have recently discussed these issues. Being both Black and famous comes with especially intense pressure, and these athletes taking care of themselves is an important expression of Black joy. Many athletes obligate themselves to pleasing their fans, therefore sacrificing their own mental health and their humanity. As Osaka explains below, athletes should be given time to take care of themselves and move away from the media’s line of scrutiny.
Comedy
Beyond sports, the Black community is very active in the comedy scene throughout social media. There are many hilarious Black creators across all platforms. Creators like Druski, RDC World, and Desi Banks create funny skits that can bring the entire community together and give us endless laughs! Click on these links to get a feel for their comedy!
Music & Art
Throughout history, creativity has been an essential part of Black life. From the spiritual hymns that our ancestors sang during enslavement to the wide variety of Black artists across every musical genre today, we have always shown our artistic ability.
Recently, Black artists have demonstrated joy in their work by becoming more comfortable just doing what makes them happy. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion did so with “WAP,” and Drake did this in his new hit, “Way 2 Sexy” featuring Future and Young Thug.
Earlier this year, WILLOW released an alternative album titled lately i feel EVERYTHING. This album showed her phenomenal ability to make her mark as a Black woman in a white-centered industry. She displayed her Black joy by tapping into this genre and essentially making it her own!
Closing
Black joy is everywhere, and we should be proud that it is! These examples were just a taste of how much true happiness is around our communities. As Black people, we should acknowledge our triumphs as much as we acknowledge our pain. Society has dealt us with plenty of challenges, but even in the face of them, we dare to be happy. Make sure to enjoy your Blackness, because a lot of people will never know what it’s like! When you can, put your Black joy out into the universe. You deserve that!
