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 multidisciplinary visual artist Renata Cherlise’ Black Archives, a collection of photographs that is an extension of her photo-based website, “a gathering place for Black memory and imaginations.” The book is a stunning and historical document that captures Black life through visual legacies, creating narratives that are both generational and personal. From family life, to school, church events and small, lovely moments, Black Archives is a tangible collective memory of Black life, love and joy.
Stay tuned for a new book tomorrow!
