‘Black joy means everything’: Kansas Citians highlight moments that uplift them
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What does Black joy mean? We asked Kansas City to tell us
For Black History Month, The Star sought to highlight Black joy. Here are the moments and the words you shared that illustrate what Black joy means to you.
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‘Black joy means everything’: Kansas Citians highlight moments that uplift them
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Kansas City Star editor explains the story behind the Black Joy project
For Black History Month, The Star asked all of you in Kansas City to tell us what Black joy means to you, and to share a recent memory from your life that embodies this idea.
We put out a metro-wide call and reached out to hundreds of individuals, including friends and sources of The Star, asking for photos and videos of Black joy and how it plays a role in your life. The responses, which came from people from Kansas City to Topeka, were thoughtful and personal.
This story would not have been possible without you.
You submitted photos of family, of simple pleasures, nights out with friends, achievements, and moments of self care and self actualization.
Muenfua Lewis, a co-founder of By Design magazine, a Kansas City-based magazine for Black creatives, said Black joy is a preview of what the world could be. A glimpse into the world he’s trying to create. A world void of “societal implications” — freedom.
“Black Joy is part of Black resistance. It’s a peek into Black self-actualization. It’s hope that we can be our authentic selves at all times,” he said. “Black joy means everything. This world is brutal for Black people, moments of joy keep me going.”
Lewis’s thoughts are shared by so many others who took the time to offer their thoughts: You all spoke of the freedom to live life beautifully, to dream, to live out loud, to know and love yourself.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREOne note we receive time and again at The Star is that so much of the news, particularly the news that focuses on Kansas City’s Black communities, is rooted in struggle, or misfortune, or crime. There is much more to the Black experience, and more to Black life in Kansas City. This February, for Black History Month, The Star wanted to make sure we made the space to highlight that and to hear from you all: What does Black joy mean to you?
How we told the story
This story is all about you. And it would not have been possible if not for your thoughtful submissions. Ahead of Black History Month, The Star put out a call for Black people across the Kansas City metro to tell us what Black joy means, how it’s important in their lives and asked them to share a moment from their lives that illustrates Black joy. The Star also reached out to hundreds of individuals, including friends and sources of The Star for their submissions and for them to share call out with their communities. What we got were a handful of insightful and heartwarming answers and moments of Black joy.
What you’ll find now is a collection of those moments and thoughtful submissions on Black joy. The responses have been edited for length and clarity:
Glammed, confident, and fun
Crystal Everett, 34, Kansas City
Black Joy is fun, it is confidence, it is everything. Black joy is being able to celebrate in spite of.
My latest birthday tradition is to get glammed up and have a photoshoot. This is a photo of me, taken at Fresh Factory KC, a photography studio at Zona Rosa.
In my life, Black joy means that I am able to create my own definitions of happiness. It means that my husband and I are able to create a life filled with experiences that show our daughter that she doesn’t have to face limits. It means that I’m able to rock my hair naturally curly or straight and still walk with my head held high.
A moment to breathe
Justice Horn, 22, Kansas City
In this photo you have my younger brother J’shon Horn, myself, and my father Justice Horn Sr. They’re helping me cut my hair because they love me, they support me, and they want me to go out into the world looking my best. It’s moments like these that give me Black Joy.
Black Joy is an overwhelming feeling of love for your community, your people, and your family. I feel it the most in those three spaces. A moment when Black folk get to slow down, breathe, and smile for a little bit.
We rarely get to do that, but it’s usually around those we love and who love us back.
Live every day in Black joy
Niya McAdoo, 23, Lawrence, Kansas
Black joy is purposefully living in your Blackness with no boundaries from anyone or anything. Black joy is the ultimate act of resistance our ancestors fought and died for. Living everyday in your Black joy is revolutionary, deserved, and highly favored.
Here is my youngest sister smiling, enjoying a popsicle, rocking her ‘Black is Beautiful’ sweatsuit.
Black joy in my life is seeing my little sisters grow up with more representation than I had. It’s them being able to grow into beautiful, confident, strong, and gentle Black women who know what they deserve.
‘Unstoppable, undestroyable’
Branden Mims, 33, Kansas City
Black joy simply means that Black people can be happy, healthy and productive despite the generational trauma and history of oppression.
Black joy to me is my predominantly Black church, the Greater Metropolitan Church of Christ, giving scholarships to Black youth to attend college. Every year we give out scholarships to Black youth to attend college or a trade school.
Black Joy is often shown in my life through progress. It is a celebration of achievement. It is the ability to make something out of nothing.
It is acknowledging that we have been through some struggles, some trauma, some oppression, but the joy part of it is that we have overcome and built resilience like nobody’s business. It is that we are unstoppable, undestroyable.
Black boy joy
Tamra Gibson, 37, Prairie Village, Kansas
It’s my son laughing and playing and exploring and dreaming. Having joy in the midst of all the chaos in the world, Black joy is him being content and secure.
In this photo, my son Cohen is trying on glasses at Warby Parker. He’s modeling them for all the workers, and he is all smiles as the staff tells him how cool and cute he looks.
Black boy joy is when Black boys are given the freedom to unapologetically be themselves.
Butterflies and tears of joy
TJ Roberts, 30, Kansas City, Kansas
To me it’s that inner feeling that starts as butterflies in the tummy and sometimes becomes tears of joy. It’s an overwhelming sense of good — most likely for me, after or during a very difficult journey or situation.
Joy is relative to each person, Black or white, but is when joy prevails over everything that’s been against. It’s the very feeling that can be sparked by hope in every good or bad situation.
The photo is from Kansas City’s largest get together, “816 Day,” created by Bizzy Benton and done in the 18th and vine district. Pictured is one of the bands featured that special day.
Knowing your worth
Linessa Frazier, 59, Topeka, Kansas
Black joy is leaving a job where you’re underemployed (even they admit it) and going to one where they begin to understand your worth, helping to ease some inequities,
While my new job helped ease some inequities, Black joy now means the ability to purchase a nice gift for my family without planning and saving several months in advance. I’m thankful (and I dare say, joyous) for the freedom to actively save for retirement, pay bills, enjoy a nice cup of coffee, pay for prescriptions and purchase groceries… within the same month.
It means enjoying a cup of coffee at home.
‘Black self-actualization’
Muenfua Lewis, 27, Kansas City
Black Joy is part of Black resistance. It’s a peek into Black self-actualization. It’s hope that we can be our authentic selves at all times.
Black joy means everything. This world is brutal for Black people; moments of joy keep me going.
By Design Magazine, which I co-founded, created a space filled with Black Joy. As you can see, I couldn’t help but partake in the fun.
‘Free enough to own my name’
Wesley Hamilton, 34, Kansas City
I lead my life with love and empathy. Loving myself unconditionally and giving it to others freely. I am the breaker of my own mental restraints, the creator of my own reality. Free enough to own my name.
This is a picture of me taken in fall 2021, sitting in a wooden chair, holding my hair with a smile on my face. Surrounded by several plants and my wheelchair.
Black men are commonly seen as threats, and in their community, masculinity can be toxic.
You rarely see a black man reveling in joy. But when you do, know he is a man who knows himself. They have gone through enough battles to now welcome adversity with a smile. An openly vulnerable human who authentically approaches life with peace in their heart no matter how he is seen or treated.
Black boy joy truly knows you can shine regardless of how people judge it.
‘Loving the skin you’re in’
Korea Kelly, Kansas City
June 9, 2013, was pure Black joy for me. I got to marry the man of my dreams, celebrating with my family by my side.
This picture is of the wedding party after the ceremony. These pictures also show the look on my little niece’s face (the far right), how bad she had to go use the restroom. My mom kept screaming for her to stay seated lol.
Black joy to me is being able to live in my own truth unapologetically as a strong Black trans woman going after my dreams and life ambitions. Holding my head up high cause I know my ancestors died and bled for me to live an abundant life.
Black joy to me is being proud, loving the skin you’re in, walking with your head held high.
This picture is truly my Black joy because it was the best day of my life.
Peace, happiness, and good health
La’Trice Murray, 38, Kansas City
Black Joy for me is anything that inspires, uplifts, or motivates me. It could be something as simple as a nice lunch, or as complex as botany. I own an urban farm that started in Kansas City called Black Farmer Jane.
In July 2021, I traveled to Tennessee, and stood beside Nasstasia Hicks, owner of Black Farmer Jane Memphis. This was an incredible moment full of Black joy. We worked right through the smoldering heat to create Black Farmer Jane’s first container garden. It went from a small quaint set up to an incredible lush, green oasis.
Black Joy in my life means peace, happiness, and good health on all levels of my life, and peace and happiness in my family, with my friends, and within my career. It’s good health mentally and physically, too.
Practicing self care
Imaje Harvey, 18, Olathe, Kansas
Black joy is being able to understand and acknowledge the harm and injustices happening to my people yet still being able to find happiness. It’s finding joy despite the world working against us finding it.
I’ve found moments of Black joy while enjoying a concert, having fun while in California, or enjoying myself in a museum!
Black joy in my life happens when I practice self care and when I do things I enjoy that may be outside of the stereotypes of the Black person that have been created in media.
‘Chocalicity’ in full effect
Bishop Frank Douglas, Jr., 57, Kansas City
For me it’s chocolate joy and it is knowing who I am regardless of whether we live in a country that tries to designate our experiences and accomplishments by relegating it to only one month.
Chocalicity is in effect all 365 days of the year. Chocalicity has been here as long as the Europeans that were either seeking a better life or coming themselves from oppressive circumstances as indentured servants. My joy is complete because through all of the tragedies I have experienced, the joy of the Lord is the source and strength of my life.
Chocolate joy was in full effect when all but one of our children, who lives in Baltimore, were able to come together. We tried to be about that life as many Sundays as we could, going out to eat together.
Chocolate joy is to know who you are and not allowing what is taught in school to deter you from not knowing. Chocolate joy must celebrate who we are whether our hair texture is flaxen or coarse. Chocolate joy must be celebrated whether you barely know the English language or are fluent in five languages. Chocolate joy says the sky is not the limit; the limit is your willingness to discover and seek help and persevere by paying the price tag of your beliefs.
An act of rebellion
Henry C. Service, 55, Gardner, Kansas
Black joy gives me vacations away from the inexorable drumbeat of life.
Black joy is the act of rejoicing, even when doing so seems inappropriate.
When the world wants to put Black people in a box filled with stereotypes, or doesn’t want to see or hear them on their own terms, rejoicing is an act of rebellion.
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
