Joy
In our resistance.
“Joy is possible under any circumstances,” the incomparable Angela Davis said to a packed room this week.
She had been asked about growing up in Birmingham, Alabama in a neighborhood named Dynamite Hill - so called because the KKK used dynamite to blow up the homes of Black families.
What was that like?
Dr. Davis smiled.
“We assume a place so marred by hatred can’t also contain joy But joy is possible in any circumstance.” Her voice was slow. Purposeful.
I remember the KKK, the violence, she went on.
“I also remember a happy childhood. I remember being very happy. We played games!” she laughed.
Resistance was woven into every aspect of our existence, she said, smiling yet serious. It was even in our joy.
“No matter how hopeless,” she turned to speak to her captive audience, “we can find joy. And if we don’t seek it, we won’t be able to make a better world.”
Most of us never get tested like that.
We don't need our home obliterated by dynamite to lose our joy. A traffic jam will do it. A tone of voice. An email that arrives on a Tuesday and ruins the entire week.
I love the lesson here, Anne.
Joy is not a response to circumstances. Not something we wait for. Not something that "happens" to us.
It's a natural consequence of our being.
Joy is always within us. Always a possibility – Always a choice ❤️
Thanks Anne! Needed this