The material on this page highlights a facet of Black life that we haven’t focused on in our previous conversations -- Black Joy -- those moments  of exuberance, exhilaration, and pride, snatched from a life often overshadowed by the pain, sorrow, and injustice associated with living while Black in America.

These emotions, fueled by shared experiences, bubble up from the depths of generations upon generations as the Black community skillfully weaves  life’s pains into a tapestry of joy and celebration.  As white people, we appreciate and respond to this contagious outpouring of exuberance.  But it has nothing to do with us. And it doesn’t mean that systemic racism no longer exists or that we no longer have the  responsibility to challenge it … quite the contrary.

What it means is that we need to stop thinking of African Americans as one-dimensional, that their only stories are those of abuse and suffering.  It means that we need to acknowledge the full humanity and resilience of people who deserve to have many more moments of joy and jubilation. And we need to realize the broader meaning of Black Lives Matter.