Black Joy Through the Lenses of Eight Black Women Photographers
Joy as an act of resistance has long been one of the Black community's coping mechanisms in the face of white supremacy. In a 2002 article entitled “The Pleasures of Resistance: Enslaved Women and Body Politics in the Plantation South 1830 to 1861,” American feminist historian Stephanie MH Camp illustrates, “Just as exploitation, containment, and punishment of the body were political acts, so too was the enjoyment of the body.”
Charmaine A. Nelson, a professor of art history at McGill University, corroborates Camp’s findings by highlighting that our ancestors were denied access to self-care, grooming, and pampering because the demand for constant labor resulted in the lack of leisure time. Though these articles were written about slavery in the 1800s, their resonance still rings true today.
Social media simply isn’t simply a timeline, it’s an archive. While myriads of headlines, images, and videos associated with Black suffering are memorialized each minute, the effects of racial trauma on our mental health is immeasurable. From here in the United States, to the diaspora and beyond, our community continues its search for safe spaces free from the misconceptions that have eclipsed our narratives. As we scroll through our scenes, we yearn to see the celebration of Black love and communal pleasure. This isn’t to suggest that the movements like #BlackBoyJoy are the only appropriate response to the saturation of violence in the media. What we seek is a spectrum of our humanity.
As an organization committed to amplifying the voices of Black creatives, we are shattering the invisibility of our bliss in mainstream media. We spoke to eight emerging photographers about what we mean when we talk about Black joy and the responses were glorious.
Crosscaptures
Black joy is unapologetically being content with who you are and expressing yourself without regret. It shouldn’t be a luxury to be happy and free. We deserve to be!
Karene-Isabelle Jean-Baptiste
Black joy is freedom! It is an act of empowerment and rebellion in a world that often looks to keep us down. It’s what helped my ancestors to survive and helps me to thrive. My photos often feature people that are laughing and happy because that is the energy that I want to put out into the world. I do not engage in Black trauma for entertainment. I believe in the transformative power of joy and want to keep a record of the light we put out into the world.
Vonecia Carswell
Black joy is living out loud and proud in the skin we're in. It's defying the odds and finding peace within ourselves. I’m fueled by a desire to celebrate my own personal features, my gap teeth in particular. I gathered a group of Black women who also had gap teeth to celebrate our individualism as we challenge beauty standards.
Taesirat Yusuf
Black joy is the expression of our happiness, liberation, and community in safe spaces that allow us to share that joy. This photo is from my lifestyle Editorial shoot titled “FÁÀRÍ” which was set in a 90’s Yoruba “owanmbe”, which means party. It embodies the joy and beauty Nigerian women feel from being able to socialize freely in a backdrop radiating with positivity.
Anastassia Witty
Black joy is embracing the purest version of yourself that isn’t weighed down by the burden of social matters and racism around you. Black Joy is magical, it is revolutionary. As we began this shoot, the model felt shy and was hesitant to express himself. When I photograph, I am to capture the most humane and natural part of them that models feel comfortable portraying. Deep down I know he was passionate about his craft as a model so my words of affirmation helped him embrace his inner glow.
Ashley J Mitchell
Black joy is a feeling beyond description. If there were words that could do it justice, it is being euphoric without apology. It’s an infectious emotion that I can’t wait to catch. When I photograph people I’m inspired by candid conversation so they forget the artificiality of a staged photograph. It’s in those little moments when they smile that I’m able to capture who they really are.
Polly Irungu
In my own life, I try to choose and create joy every day. I will never ever get tired of documenting our joy. Here’s to more acts of resistance all 2021!
