Okay, so joy as resistance has been completely removed from its original context, and that’s why what you know of now doesn’t really work.
In the Roaring 20s, during the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston found herself at odds not only with conservative whites but also neo-abolitionists
In the Roaring 20s, during the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston found herself at odds not only with conservative whites but also neo-abolitionists
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Both groups were dominating the stories and lived experiences of Black folks and Hurston was standing up for Black people as fully-formed people who don’t center whiteness.
A lot of liberal whites were only interested in narratives of black sorrow because they were afraid southern whites could use “black joy” to justify their actions (i.e., “see! Black people are happy!”)
She rebuked the idea that the best thing to happen to black people was proximity to whites (integration).
And, THAT is why Black joy was resistance.
Not any ol’ joy — the joy of Black Southern Women.
So. . .
Like “identity politics” and “woke” and the long list of terms the internet got its hands on — white people found something, been wearing it out, and later realize it doesn’t fit.
It wasn’t made to be worn like that.
She does an amazing job of explaining in detail what my thread touches on (and more).
The book is online
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/62239/external_content.pdf?sequence=1
Y'know, like the time they did this?
📌
Zora vs is new to me. Thank you!!!
That’s not our business.
Still haven't seen Django, 12YAS, and whatever Will Smith did last year, and I won't be seeing them either.
Alice Walker (on finding Zora Neale Hurston's grave and remindng folks in the 1980s of who she was, & getting her back into print;
Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God (more of her writings have come back to us later). 💖
Looks like it still exists. Different from the last time I went but that is close to 30 years ago
https://zorafestival.org/
Gay pride, queer pride, trans pride, same: it’s been diluted, but was originally a rebellious act of joy.
His name was Dave and he would inscribe poems and other quips as an act of rebellion on his works. Such a powerful act of finding this joy in his work and expression in a time of horrible oppression
Thank you for the thread.
I'll redirect anyone abusing the phrase here. 📌