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“Come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed.” – Lucille Clifton

As a Black Queer person, I celebrate Black History Month with intention. It is a time to honor our ancestors, recognize our resilience, and reflect on the struggles that Black communities continue to face. But let’s talk about something that doesn’t always get the spotlight—Black Joy. In a world that constantly tries to wear us down, joy is not an escape; it’s a tool, a declaration that we are still here, still thriving, and still worthy of love, laughter, and rest. And this isn’t just a Black thing—this is a lesson for anyone who has ever been marginalized, for anyone who has ever felt like the world was trying to erase them. Joy is resistance.

Why Black Joy Matters

Black joy is about more than just happiness—it’s about survival. In the face of racism, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, economic struggles, and the criminalization of our very existence, our ability to love, laugh, and rest is an act of defiance. This isn’t about pretending oppression doesn’t exist. It’s about refusing to let oppression define us.

Our ancestors sang through their pain, found laughter in the midst of struggle, and built communities where love thrived despite everything working against them. That spirit lives on today in the way we create music, gather in community, dance, and tell our stories.

What This Means for the LGBTQ+ Community and Other Marginalized Groups

If you’ve ever had your rights threatened, your identity challenged, or your safety compromised, you know that just existing can be exhausting. But joy—queer joy, immigrant joy, working-class joy, disabled joy—is fuel. It keeps us going when the world says we should give up.

When we consider the current realities facing our trans siblings—who are being targeted in ways that are deeply insidious and harmful—we know that their joy is under attack. From laws designed to erase their existence to barriers preventing access to gender-affirming care, the assault on trans people is relentless. That is why their joy is sacred. When trans folks find laughter, love, and celebration in the face of oppression, they send a powerful message: they will not be erased. We stand with them in that truth.

Building Communities of Joy and Resistance

Resistance isn’t just about marches and petitions—it’s also about creating spaces where joy can thrive. That means supporting Black and queer artists, uplifting trans voices, and ensuring that all marginalized communities have room to breathe, rest, and flourish. It means showing up for one another, protecting spaces where we can exist freely and fully, and making sure that our movements include not just justice, but also celebration.

Immigrants, people of color, disabled individuals, the poor, the unhoused, and those living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities continue to face systemic oppression, racial profiling, deportation threats, and targeted hate. Many are denied basic human rights and dignity. Their struggles are deeply connected to our own, and their joy is just as powerful a form of resistance. We must stand in solidarity with them, ensuring that our collective movements amplify their voices, honor their stories, and uplift their fight for liberation. Joy unites us, reminding us that we are not alone and that our survival is a testament to our strength.

A Call to Joy

This Black History Month—and beyond—let’s make joy a priority. Let’s reclaim it, protect it, and share it. Let’s dance, laugh, and rest—not because we’re ignoring the struggle, but because we refuse to be consumed by it. The executive orders, the attempts to erase us from history, the attacks on our trans siblings—these are all designed to hinder, stifle, or even steal our joy. Don’t let them! We used to sing a song in church growing up:
“This Joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me! The world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away!”

• To our Black siblings: Our joy has always been a revolutionary force.
• To our LGBTQ+ siblings: Our love and laughter are acts of defiance.
• To our trans siblings: Your joy is sacred and essential, and we will work to help you secure and protect it.
• To our immigrant siblings: Your joy is powerful, necessary, and worthy of celebration. We stand with you, support you, and uplift your right to thrive.
• To all people of color facing oppression: Your joy is resistance. It is vital, it is sacred, and it cannot be erased. We see you, we celebrate you, and we stand with you.

To everyone trying to exist in a world that tells them they shouldn’t—claim your joy. Celebrate yourself, your identity, and one another in the struggle. Because joy is not just resistance—it is the foundation of our liberation!