Five Reasons Why Our Joy Matters
...and why you MUST give yourself permission to access it--especially now.
There are absolutely times when I think about all the conversations I’ve had about joy—Black joy in particular—and wonder if, by focusing on our joy, I’m somehow trivializing or minimizing the very real struggle and trauma Black folks face every single day AND what we have historically had to overcome. But that’s when I have to remind myself: joy is not a reward. It’s not a destination or something we earn. Joy, when accessed, happens along the way. It is embedded in our actions and our movements. It’s what sustains us through the trauma and the struggle.
In short? Joy is HOW we get over.
Joy is HOW we make a way out of no way.
It is in joy and with joy that we even do the work of liberation.
I honestly believe that without joy as a major tenet of our activist movements—without it being a factor in our press against oppression and white supremacy—it’s hard as hell to have hope. And without hope, what are we even doing? Joy gives us the capacity—the lens—to see the possibilities of hope. Because, for real? It’s hard to believe in a new day if nothing has been joyful on the road to that change.
That’s why I wanted to offer some concrete reminders of why our joy matters—especially right now. I hope you tuck these truths into your breast pocket and pull them out when you find yourself believing the lie that you don’t deserve joy. I hope you hide them in the softest place in your heart and, most importantly, CALL THEM UP when you’re confronted by those who don’t understand your joy.
Five Reasons Why Our Joy Matters
There is transformative power in joy.
It provides strength for the journey. If you’re wondering how you’re going to survive the chaos around us…well, one way is to tap into your joy. And because joy is contagious—and when amplified, it can shift entire atmospheres—your joy becomes a safe haven for your community. It fortifies, protects, and guards just as powerfully as any fence or wall.Joy is not happiness—it’s something altogether better.
They’re kinfolk, but not the same. Happiness is fleeting—often dependent on what’s happening around you. But joy? Joy is an undercurrent. It’s steady. It can live alongside pain. Have you ever danced or laughed until you cried? That release matters. Joy helps us feel, and we must feel. It expands our capacity. It gives us room to hold our pain without being consumed by it.Our joy is both an act of self-compassion and a form of community resistance.
That’s how radical it is. Choosing joy is a revolutionary stance—personally and spiritually—that affirms your humanity. Not just to them, but to yourself.Our joy is not only cultural expression—it’s also a strategic resource.
It disrupts every attempt to cast us into despair. It keeps us awake. Aware. Ready for our next move.Joy offers a direct path to healing.
Yes, our joy is resistance. But if we only view it as a weapon, we end up centering the very thing we’re fighting. Joy isn’t just about opposition—it’s about wholeness. It’s a way forward. A route to personal and collective healing—whether the world changes or not.
My hope and prayer is that you give yourself permission to access joy in whatever form it takes. Today and every day after.
With love,
TMLG
Not sure what your joy looks like? Want to walk through some clear and tangible ways to access your joy and amplify it in your community? If you’re in Philly or the surrounding areas, join me at Uncle Bobbie’s Books and Cafe on April 24th at 7pm for my first of many “Reclaiming Black Joy Micro-Workshops.” Click the image below to get your tix.
Another joy of mine is gardening. Now that Spring has sprung, it is truly helping me to keep my mind. :)
Yes!!!