{"product_id":"the-black-joy-project-isbn-9780358588757","title":"The Black Joy Project","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNAACP Image Award Finalist for Outstanding Debut Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFeaturing 117 full-color photos and eight breathtaking essays on a force that fuels Black life all around the globe, this is\u003ci\u003e Humans of New York \u003c\/i\u003emeets \u003ci\u003eThe Black Book\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A patchwork quilt of visually stunning images, captured moments of triumph, antidotes to trauma narratives and rich, ebullient emotional and verbal spice for the soul.\" – Michael W. Twitty, culinary and cultural historian, and author of \u003ci\u003eThe Cooking Gene\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKoshersoul\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"In literature, there are some books that transcend mere pages and ink, becoming essential pieces of cultural expression. One such book poised to make its mark is \u003ci\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/i\u003e…. This ambitious work breaks new ground.\" – \u003ci\u003eEssence\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Joy is everywhere. From the bustling streets of Lagos to hip-hop blasting through apartment windows in the Bronx. From the wide-open coastal desert of Namibia to the lush slopes of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. From the thriving tradition of Candomblé in Bahia to the innovative and trendsetting styles of Soweto, and beyond, Black Joy is present in every place that Black people exist. Now—at last—is a one-of-a-kind celebration of this truth and a life-giving testament to one of the most essential forces that fuels Black life: \u003ci\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInternational in the scale, fist-raising in the prose, and chockfull of gorgeous works by dozens of acclaimed artists, this powerful work of social commentary does what no other book has ever done. In words and art, it puts joy on the same track as protest and resistance … because that is how life is actually lived. Uprisings in the street, with music as accompaniment. Heartbreaking funerals followed by second line parades. Microaggressions in the office, then coming home to a warm hug and a garden of lilacs. The list goes on.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Joy is always held in tension with broader systemic wounds. It is a powerful, historically important salve that allows us to keep going and reimagine new ways of being. This stunning coffee table book captures these dual realities to incredible, unforgettable effect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe brainchild of educator and activist Kleaver Cruz, \u003ci\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/i\u003e is an extension of a real-world initiative of the same name. It has become a source of healing and regeneration for Black people of all backgrounds and identities. Long overdue and somehow still worth the wait, this inspirational book is a necessary addition for any book lover, art enthusiast, or freedom fighter. And begs the question, What does Black Joy mean to you?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Stunning Coffee Table Book:\u003c\/b\u003e Journey across the globe through 117 vibrant, full-color photographs and breathtaking essays that capture the beauty, resilience, and cultural expression of the Black experience.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eJoy as an Act of Resistance:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover how joy coexists with protest, becoming a powerful, historically important salve against systemic wounds and a tool for imagining new ways of being.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGlobal Black Culture:\u003c\/b\u003e From the streets of Lagos and Soweto to the Bronx and Bahia, this photo essay collection explores the trendsetting styles, music, and traditions of the African Diaspora.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCommunity and Healing:\u003c\/b\u003e Born from educator and activist Kleaver Cruz’s real-world initiative, this book serves as a source of regeneration and connection for Black people of all backgrounds and identities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"What a book! What a wonder-full reckoning. A well of resistance, reclamation, and restorative splendor! I ate up \u003cem\u003eThe Black Joy Project \u003c\/em\u003ein one grateful gulp and plan to return to these pages again and again.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCamille T. Dungy, author of Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Through exquisite essays and soul-grabbing art, Kleaver Cruz shows the majesty and many meanings of Black joy in the African Diaspora. \u003cem\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/em\u003e is a gift that \u003cem\u003emust\u003c\/em\u003e be shared.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJasmin Hernandez, author of We Are Here: Visionaries of Color Transforming the Art World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/em\u003e is \u003cem\u003eThe Black Book \u003c\/em\u003efor a new millennium. Here is a patchwork quilt of visually stunning images, captured moments of triumph, antidotes to trauma narratives and rich, ebullient emotional and verbal spice for the soul. This is an irreplaceable volume.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMichael W. Twitty, culinary and cultural historian, and author of The Cooking Gene and Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A bath and a balm. Powerful words accompanied by vibrant images affirm a joy that is not only palpable but possible. A promise and a prayer. Kleaver Cruz reminds us of all the ways that we've already experienced it and all the ways we are guaranteed to experience it again. As brilliant as it is beautiful, \u003cem\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/em\u003e shows us, literally, that joy is ours for the naming.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eYaba Blay, author of One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe Black Joy Project \u003c\/em\u003eis a material expression of the everyday reverberations of Black ebullience that are often glossed over and characterized as less critical than rage. Black joy is a disruptive force, however, which upends the power of anti-Blackness and fortifies the collective spirit of Black people. Kleaver Cruz knows that to be true and has offered us this gift of a book that won't soon be forgotten for its beauty and power.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDarnell L. Moore, author of No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In literature, there are some books that transcend mere pages and ink, becoming essential pieces of cultural expression. One such book poised to make its mark is \u003cem\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/em\u003e…. This ambitious work breaks new ground.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEssence\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Uplifting…. This is a captivating celebration of Black resilience and resistance.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Already being touted as a cultural staple.... A transformative tool, the book holds up a type of literary mirror, reflecting the omnipresence of joy as a consistent tool in our arsenal and fight for true freedom.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBecause of Them We Can\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A stunning celebration of Black joy and resistance around the world.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Root\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Fans of \u003cem\u003eHumans of New York\u003c\/em\u003e and beautiful art books should be sure to pick up this look at Black joy around the world.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBook Riot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This book is capacious. It is contemporary and historical, feminist and queer, personal and deeply invested in the collective. It does not privilege one corner of the Black world over another, while still offering nuanced perspectives about differences between Black communities.... A book this expansive about Africa and its diaspora might quickly become trite and stereotypical in the hands of a less capable writer. Our contemporary moment is rife with diaspora wars, selective gatekeeping, and disingenuous performance of community. But Cruz knows their people, and holds the tradition of Black joy with equal care and rigor. In a world that continues to only value Black life and art when we are killed, enslaved, hurt, struggling, or reduced, what a balm it is to spend two-hundred pages basking in joy as resistance, as a valid way to be in the world — outside the gaze of the colonizer and his descendants. \u003cem\u003eThe Black Joy Project\u003c\/em\u003e is a gift we can return to again and again. We are so lucky to have it.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDominicanWriters.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890572161253,"sku":"NP9780358588757","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780358588757.jpg?v=1730233600","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-black-joy-project-isbn-9780358588757","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}