In celebration of Black History Month, we’ll be highlighting a diverse range of books, all written by Black American authors, all of which celebrate and prioritize Black Joy. We’ll be featuring a title every day through the month of February.
Kleaver Cruz, creator of the Black Joy project, says that “Black joy is resistance. Amplifying Black joy is not about dismissing or creating an ‘alternative’ Black narrative that ignores the realities of our collective pain; rather, it is about holding the pain and injustices we experience as Black folks around the world in tension with the joy we experience in pain’s midst. It’s about using that joy as an entry into understanding the oppressive forces we navigate through as a means to imagine and create a world free of them.”
Today’s work is Troy Andrews’ Trombone Shorty, an illustrated children’s autobiography that introduces the young trombone player from the Tremé in New Orleans. At age six, Troy picked up a trombone, and began to play. Nicknamed “Trombone Shorty” for his small size in comparison to his giant trombone, Troy worked hard and changed the music world as an artist, producer and writer. Be sure to listen to his sweet tunes when you’re done reading this one!
Stay tuned for a new book tomorrow!
