Black Joy Is Resistance

When Black stories get told, the spotlight usually lands on struggle, trauma, and survival. This week on Blacktivities, Shannon and Mona Lisa (with KK joining mid-episode) center what often gets left out: Black joy. The cookout laughter. The line dancing. The group chat jokes. The deep exhale that reminds us we are still here.

In “Big Facts,” Shannon traces Black joy from slavery to the Jim Crow era and beyond, showing how music, movement, community, and recreation weren’t “extras.” They were survival. Then the hosts unpack why Black joy can make people uncomfortable, the difference between happiness and joy, and how protecting your joy is part of protecting your humanity.In This Episode

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About the Hosts

Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production – a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

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Follow Lisa – @monalisathepoet

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• A Short History of Black Happiness
• A Paradox of Pleasure: Black Joy during “the Nadir,” 1875‒1905 | The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era | Cambridge Core
• Black Joy: Resistance, Resilience and Reclamation | National Museum of African American History and Culture
• What ‘Black Joy’ Means and How It Grew – The SASH Lab

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