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Black Joy Matters, Too
Joy gives us energy to keep fighting another day
It was a sad weekend, y’all. The news of the passing of Chadwick Boseman hit hard at a time when I didn’t think things could get much worse. Yet as I scrolled through sorrowful tributes and condolences from fans, celebrities, and co-stars, I surprisingly found myself smiling.
Do y’all remember the Black Panther opening weekend? How excited and happy everyone was that we had a Black superhero and a Black supervillain who were schooling the country on the complexities of colonialism and systemic racism? Whew! That movie was so important for Black culture, but it was also just so much damn fun!
I remember smiling at Black people I didn’t even know on the street and throwing up the “Wakanda forever” sign. I saw grown Black men running around in Black Panther masks like little kids and living their best lives. I loved seeing everyone in the theater in dashikis, dancing and laughing and just being happy.
In the fight for freedom, there has to be time for joy.
If you look at the news, there doesn’t seem like there’s much to be happy about these days. We’re going through a lot right now: collectively grieving the loss of Chadwick and other celebs, fighting for our right to live in a world free…
