In my Stevie Wonder voice, Happy Birthday to me!! I am blessed and grateful to see another year of life! 42 Years Young (Shout out to Jackie Robinson)!!
I love being a Summer Baby, nothing like celebrating on a sun shining day!! Let me also make sure I shout some Birthday twins, my high school classmate James Benson, my Soror and Big Sista Tamiko Jackson, and my celebrity girl crush Angels Bassett!!
Now in addition to today being my Birthday, it is also National Rum Day!! So make sure to have an ice cold Rum Punch, Dark and Stormy, or Mai Tai in honor of me today :-)!
Cheers to 42 and many, many more!! It’s time to celebrate!!
As we close out this last day of the #BlackJoy series, I just want to thank you for joining me on this journey. Throughout each of these 30 Days, I hope that you learned something new, gained some new tips, added a song or book to your collection, prepped for a new film or television series, or just found some peace. Whatever you gained make sure you treasure it and if you can share and spread some of that joy to others!
Let me also give a special shout-out to our guest blogger Lauren Jackson for providing the weekly posts on Finding Joy in Black Spaces!! Thank you! Thank you!!
While today is the last day, it is also Friday!! Which means, this is our final #BlackJoy curated playlist is “A Joyous Finale”…a culmination of #BlackJoy!!
And just in case you want to refresh your memory on the past curated #BlackJoy playlists, see them below:
Before I let (you) go (nod to Frankie Beverly & Maze), let me leave you with a few reminders and nuggets that can give you your perfect dose of #BlackJoy!!
Black Joy is a movement of celebration! It’s what John Blake (CNN Enterprise writer/producer) calls ‘trauma-free Blackness!’
Black joy as an act of resistance is healing!
Black joy is global and open to all! As noted by author Sophie Williams, “Read books about Black and brown people living, not just dying. Engage in content where they thrive, rather than just survive. Remembering the full and complex range of lives and emotions in marginalized people is humanizing, and a lot of fun. You’ll feel better for it.”
Today’s #BlackJoyMoment is a mixtape of #BlackJoy resources!!
A Beautiful Resistance. … A collection of short films, long-form stories, and Q&As that celebrate Black Joy, Black dreams, and Black living.
Museum of Black Joy… A borderless exhibition and interactive archive of non-traumatic Black life in Philadelphia and beyond. It utilizes the traditions of storytelling and emerging technologies to acknowledge and advance experiences rooted in Black joy.
Reckon-Black Joy … Energize your mind, body, and spirit every Monday and Friday with a newsletter highlighting stories of Black liberation from across the nation.
The Black Joy Project … A worldwide movement of healing, community building, and resistance curated by Kleaver Cruz
BlackQueerJoy … A curated IG page that showcases images of Black LGBTQ+ people around the world in moments of pure joy.
Blavity … A site that posts daily uplifting news and commentary.
Black joy isn’t about erasing the difficulties of the Black experience, but showing the whole truth by creating balance. ~Kleaver Cruz
Photo by Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent on Pexels.com
What is a chill day like for you? How do you relax? Where do you find your inner peace? These are all important questions that have an array of answers.
Simple joys engage our senses, they make us feel present, and even bring out our inner child. Simple joys also remind us to slow down and notice all the little things in life. These simple joys can be taking a walk in nature, turning to Spotify to listen to your favorite song, or connecting with family and friends.
Thus, today’s #BlackJoyMoment is all about Embracing the Simple Joys and Pleasures of life…and proposing a new challenge from @heratlas!!
Test it out and see how far you can go! And remember to take a moment to step back and acknowledge the little things in your life – you never know how much happiness it may bring to you.
We are going into the last week of the series and this has been quite a journey! Being able to share all the different ways in which we find #BlackJoy has been an incredible experience. I often find joy in just staying at home cooking a meal, shopping for some new accessories to put in my office, or trying a new product that brightens and enhances my skin! On any given day joy can and does present itself and says “I’m Here, What You Gonna Do With Me?” So why not channel some of that joy into supporting a good cause or family-owned business.
Today’s #BlackJoyMoment is about highlighting Black-owned Brands!! Many of these brands I personally support for myself and others!! Whether it’s adding to my bar cart, finding a new sweet treat, or creating my vision for my living space, I am totally in support of the products and brands below!
Food & Drink
BLK & Bold Speciality Beverages: “A lifetime friendship, shared values, and an immeasurable love for coffee & tea serve as the foundation for BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages. Co-founders, Pernell & Rod created this company with the desire to unite coffee and tea lovers worldwide through a common interest of investing in community, specifically for the youth.”
Trade Street Jam Co.: “Fresh and funky flavor combos meet farm-to-table southern hospitality…Our jam kitchen started in Charlotte, North Carolina, but is based in Brooklyn, New York. Our in-house chef curates all of our jam flavors by pairing her knowledge of great flavor combinations with her fervor for taking risks.”
The Spice Suite: “The Spice Suite is the culminating vision of owner Angel Gregorio’s love of good food and people. Staying true to the motto “food is fashion,” Angel mixes spices and herbs to create couture blends and spice ensembles that inspire chefs and home cooks alike.”
Zach & Zoë Sweet Bee Farm: Family-owned business Zach & Zoe Sweet Bee Farm offers a wide array of raw, flavor-infused honey harvested in New Jersey. The flavors include lavender, matcha, beetroot, ginger, and blueberry, which can be used in drinks, on breakfast foods and desserts, and incorporated into savory entrees.
Brough Brothers: A family-owned and managed distillery by the three Yarbrough brothers (Victor, Bryson, and Chris), that sell a medium body bourbon produced in the first Black-owned bourbon distillery in Kentucky.
Beauty& Skincare
Black Girl Sunscreen: “Black Girl Sunscreen was designed to start the conversation around sun protection and education. BGS took the #1 reason Black women weren’t wearing sunscreen and solved it in a way that connected with them specifically. BGS has you looking good and feeling good by leaving no white cast through incorporating moisturizing ingredients that also protect your skin.“
BEVEL: “Led by founder and CEO Tristan Walker, Bevel revolutionized the standards of male self-care and continues to cement its position as the most trusted grooming solution for him. On a mission to make products and tools accessible to all men with curly, textured hair, and melanin-rich skin.“
Solo Noir: “Solo Noir firmly believes that a man’s greatest asset is his confidence. With unfiltered confidence, everything is within your reach, but confidence can be limited by several factors, including personal appearance. The Solo Noir system was created to restore confidence through clear, healthy skin. Solo Noir products take the guesswork out of daily skincare and make it both easy to understand and simple to apply.”
KINLÒ: “Despite growing up on sun-soaked tennis courts, SPF was never top-of-mind for Naomi Osaka because she, like many others, assumed her melanin-rich skin was immune to sun damage.After learning the truth about the damage the sun inflicts on melanated skin, she set out on a mission to dispel old myths and educate others on proper sun protection.KINLÒ starts conversations about health risks for melanated skin tones and provides clean products designed to protect and nourish.”
Donna’s Recipe: “Donna’s Recipewasfounded by Tabitha Brown and Gina Woods. Together they sought out the mission to exclusively offer vegan, high-qualityingredients that work but also products that you look forward tofor a consistent hair care routine. The entire line is nutrient-rich, clean, vegan ingredients that keep you coming back and staying consistent with your hair care journey.”
Home & Accessories
Afro Unicorn: “April Showers is Founder and CEO of Afro Unicorn®️, a brand designed to represent the uniqueness of women and children of color in a truly diverse and inclusive fashion. April is a lead-by-example creator who works to uplift, advocate and inspire women and children of color to achieve greatness. She is focused on fusing her passions with her life’s purpose to help other female entrepreneurs on their journey.”
BLK MKT Vintage: “BLK MKT Vintage is a Brooklyn, NY-based antique/vintage concept shop, specializing in collectibles, cast-off’s and curiosities, which represent the richness of Black history and lived experience. Curated by founders Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart, the collection includes found items like vintage literature, vinyl records, clothing, art, housewares/decor, furniture and other goods. By centering black cultural artifacts via thoughtful curation and varying modes of accessibility, we’re communicating very explicitly to black folks that not only do we see you, but we love you as well. You’re worthy. What you’ve created is worthy. You are important here.”
Effie’s Paper: Stationary & What Not: “Effie’s Paper :: Stationery&Whatnot is a lifestyle brand presenting cool and on-trend accessories for fun at work, stylish travel and a chic daily life. We believe that from the door to her desk, a woman should be surrounded by pretty things that make her heart leap! Our products are a unique mix of casual elegance, motivation and social conversation that make using them fun and engaging.”
Pretty Honest Candles: “Pretty Honest Candles is a company born out of the founder Andrea’s desire to find a candle that truly filled my home with its scent, instead of barely filling a room. Her candles provide clean and high quality that look great on your mantle all while helping your space feel more like home.”
be rooted: “Jasmin Foster founded Be Rooted to create a space for women of color to see themselves in a place they hadn’t been. Weaving culture into every design and message, Be Rooted inspires customers to explore their inner muse and celebrate self. We want our customers to know, you are seen and you belong here.”
Joy is an integral part of Black well-being!! It is truly necessary. I often find that self-motivation can lead to self-joy! For many motivation leads to action, creates movement, leads tp growth, and can result in change. As a result, motivation can and does give purpose to one’s life and promote happiness!
Today’s #BlackJoy moment is all about spreading some motivation to get you through the weekend!! Just a few motivational quotes from an array of Black figures! Think of today’s post as a “mini pep-talk”!
As we continue our celebration of #BlackJoy and #BlackMusic, I wanted to step away from the U.S. and bring in some #GlobalBlackJoy!
So, today’s #BlackJoy curated playlist is all about the “Global Sounds of Black Joy!” Some of these sounds include old-school dancehall, Afro-beats, and reggae!! One of the great things that I love about each of these musical genres is how they each uniquely speak to and ignite the passion of the people who perform it. Dancehall, Reggae, and Afrobeats culture has and continues to make such a major impact on the music industry so much so that we see it presented not just in music videos, but TikTok, YouTube, a Verzuz battle, festivals, and of course annual carnivals/festivals.
To get a little taste, see this week’s playlist below:
Now you know I got a #TinyDeskConcert treat for you this week too (a Tripleheader), see below:
Adam Blackstone
Ambré
Amaarae
And don’t forget, if you would like to listen to the previous week’s list, you can check them out here:
Today’s #BlackJoy Moment is about showcasing and highlighting the importance of Black-owned Bookstores!
During the 1960s and 1970s, many Black bookstores served as information centers for the Civil Rights and Black Power movement. Visitors would have access to a wealth of writing on Black culture, history, entertainment, and spirituality/religion. As public spaces, they also provide a space to feel free, organize thoughts collectively and individually, form communities, and support Black economics.
For me personally, Black Bookstores have become a space to work outside of my office, grab some yummy goodies and coffee, and link up with friends! Black Bookstores have also become a place to bring in authors for “Meet-N-Greet’s”, social gatherings, open-mic and game nights, and community dialogues!
Now as part of a personal mission a couple years back, I compiled a list of Black bookstores across the globe. This was done partly to provide a resource on the BFF site, to also set a personal goal of visiting as many as I could, and simply because I was just curious.
While on this journey of curiosity and joy, I have been able to visit a few local Black bookstores here in Richmond and the surrounding DMV, that I had to shout out!! See them below:
So make sure you check these out if you are in the area, or any on the above list!! You are bound to find a good book, meet some cool folks, find a place of peace, learn something new, and be a part of a good cause!!
We are moving and shaking through these weeks, but there is still more #BlackJoy to spread!! See you tomorrow!!
Portraits of Lorraine Hansberry (L), Maya Angelou, and Angela Davis are painted inside the Urban Reader Bookstore in Charlotte, NC
Ahhhhh Yes!! Today is the official first day of summer or #SummerSolstice!! This solstice also marks the longest day (the longest period of sunlight hours) and the shortest night of the calendar year.
This is one of my favorite times of the year!! And to get you ready, let me drop some summertime hits that are bound to get you in the mood!!
Summertime (1991) ~DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Summertime Anthem(2011) ~Eric Roberson feat. Chubb Rock
Feels Like Summer/Summertime Magic(2018) ~Childish Gambino
As the weather is getting warmer, the days are longer, and spring says farewell it’s time to fuel up the barbecue, dust off your favorite bathing suits, and clear your calendar for some summertime fun!!
“Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.”