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Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration
With deeply personal and uplifting essays in the vein of Black Girls Rock , You Are Your Best Thing , and I Really Needed This Today , this is “a necessary testimony on the magic and beauty of our capacity to live and love fully and out loud” (Kerry Washington).
When Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts wrote an essay on Black joy for The Washington Post , she had no idea just how deeply it would resonate. But the outpouring of positive responses affirmed her own lived experience: that Black joy is not just a weapon of resistance, it is a tool for resilience.
With this book, Tracey aims to gift her community with a collection of lyrical essays about the way joy has evolved, even in the midst of trauma, in her own life. Detailing these instances of joy in the context of Black culture allows us to recognize the power of Black joy as a resource to draw upon, and to challenge the one-note narratives of Black life as solely comprised of trauma and hardship.
“Lewis-Giggetts etches a stunning personal map that follows in her ancestors’ footsteps and highlights their ability to take control of situational heartbreak and tragedy and make something better out of it….A simultaneously gorgeous and heartbreaking read” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review).
When Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts wrote an essay on Black joy for The Washington Post , she had no idea just how deeply it would resonate. But the outpouring of positive responses affirmed her own lived experience: that Black joy is not just a weapon of resistance, it is a tool for resilience.
With this book, Tracey aims to gift her community with a collection of lyrical essays about the way joy has evolved, even in the midst of trauma, in her own life. Detailing these instances of joy in the context of Black culture allows us to recognize the power of Black joy as a resource to draw upon, and to challenge the one-note narratives of Black life as solely comprised of trauma and hardship.
“Lewis-Giggetts etches a stunning personal map that follows in her ancestors’ footsteps and highlights their ability to take control of situational heartbreak and tragedy and make something better out of it….A simultaneously gorgeous and heartbreaking read” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review).
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2022
89 people are currently reading
6999 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 24, 2021
There should be a disclaimer on this book, must include a highlighter and tissue. There was so much in this and it was so well written, this author is amazing at telling her story. And this book shared her story, her soul and her ancestorial collective soul that it really got to my heart. I can tell this will be a favorite book among many because it gives acceptance, relatability, and accountability for the self, the author and reader. I had so many of the authors lines and ideas that I wanted to write in the review, but I'll just say this is worth the read because no matter who you are you can find something in this book. Thank you for allowing me the advance reader, I appreciate the author and opportunity.
Read
June 24, 2023This book was just so warm. Idk how else to describe it. The writing was not only gorgeous, it was also reflective and vulnerable and so so compassionate. I can tell Tracey wrote this with a lot of care and it really allowed me to sink into the pages. I thought an essay collection about Black joy could run the risk of being repetitive but Tracey did a great job of exploring that concept from so many different angles while also weaving in personal anecdotes as well. The autobiographical elements were probably my favorite part of these essays. I really got to see how Tracey's trauma informed her insistence on making time for joy, how she worked through the need to perform for others to gain approval, how her healing journey affected her parenting, and so many other meaningful moments. Although I wouldn't say this book had super high highs or gave me any totally new revelations, a lot of this book really resonated with me. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of being swept away in Tracey's words.
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Reading this for my first ever adult book club irl, so excited!
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Reading this for my first ever adult book club irl, so excited!
February 1, 2022
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm disappointed that more folks on NetGalley or other sites haven't requested an eARC of this book! It's an excellent collection of essays that inspires hope, joy, and reflection. Lewis-Giggetts is raw and vulnerable when describing her own trauma and that of other Black folks, but she is equally strong in her affirmation of Black Joy as a tool for both resistance and resilience to counteract the one-dimensional stereotype of Black pain.
Read this with an open mind and be prepared to reflect and hold yourself accountable.
I'm disappointed that more folks on NetGalley or other sites haven't requested an eARC of this book! It's an excellent collection of essays that inspires hope, joy, and reflection. Lewis-Giggetts is raw and vulnerable when describing her own trauma and that of other Black folks, but she is equally strong in her affirmation of Black Joy as a tool for both resistance and resilience to counteract the one-dimensional stereotype of Black pain.
Read this with an open mind and be prepared to reflect and hold yourself accountable.
January 31, 2022
#174
The Good
*It gave me things to chew on: (look in thoughts section at the end of this review)
*Chapter 30 probably was my favorite.
*There are really profound moments that stood out to me.
The Bad
*I think it missed interesting questions and directions it could have went down at times to go the most obvious one. Then again I am honestly feeling like most areas of discourse is being limited by going over the same areas in the same way.
* Repetitive. Does it reiterate the same point(s)?
Thoughts & Feelings
I. Whiteness
A. Whiteness has such a chokehold on Blackness . – The overwhelming centering of whiteness is in the way of Black imaginations and restoration.
B. We give so much power to whiteness. What probably really frustrates me is we do not get far enough to dig deeper to get to certain conversations because so much of our voice is given to talking about whiteness.
C. You have to find your direction/purpose outside the white gaze.
II. Trauma
A. Pessimism: There is a growing Black pessimism we need to talk about.
Many are bracing for impact because of the constant of Black violence.
How do we address the issues happening and still keep our optimism? How do we stop bracing for impact?
Also read: You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience
– which talked about and had a possible solution to this.
B. Society rewards Black trauma – I wonder if this type of reward traps certain people with specific trauma(s)?
I think folks who are constantly in the middle of these conversations around/about whiteness are psychologically harmed in certain ways.
C. Two Edged Sword: Trauma & Joy
On one hand we don’t talk trauma/our hurts enough while on the other hand there is not enough restoration.
It would be interesting looking collectively and individually how we talk Black joy & trauma.
There is an obsession with Black folks pain/trauma it is like so weird. What annoys me (and many other Black people honestly) is when there is so much emphasis on our pain that there is no room for our joy.
I feel that there is a perception that our only trauma/pain/emotional space is race related.
III. Restoration:
A. What do you do to release your pain/trauma? To heal?
B. The expectation for Black women bodies to do healing and not to be healed was an interesting point.
C. I am interested in the manifestations of our traumas. I believe there is catharsis and healing in naming our traumas.
Our bodies generationally have been violated (sexually/nonsexually) that manifests in how we view touch.
IV. Religion: Has been used to harm and heal.
A. I think Black people attach to religion to circumnavigate white supremacy. Religion is used as a force to protect against the massive insidious force that is white supremacy. Also, I believe there is a connection with religion & accepting uncertainty.
B. The tussle of grace vs vengeance especially as religious people whose religion is about forgiveness in systems where there is seemingly no justice.
V. Black joy:
A. It can be small and simple.
B. It can be selfish- or more about self.
C. We have to access it outside whiteness and maybe sometimes Black folks.
D. It does not have to be a movement. There is something about how society makes us (Black folks) feel everything we do has to be a rebellion/statement.
E. At the same time Black joy is a statement/rebellion
F. We have to address/speak on our pain & trauma and joy.
G. What does Black joy require of us? What do we feel we have to give up and gain to access it?
H. Intergenerational joy. I thought this was an interesting term that was mentioned because at times it can feel like we are vilifying our ancestors with the way we speak about them like all they passed down is pain. Untrue.
I think (I know) there are manifestations of joy from us which would have been a good topic to explore more on.
I. We have to write our joy in.
I won this book in a giveaway on goodreads from Gallery Books
The Good
*It gave me things to chew on: (look in thoughts section at the end of this review)
*Chapter 30 probably was my favorite.
*There are really profound moments that stood out to me.
The Bad
*I think it missed interesting questions and directions it could have went down at times to go the most obvious one. Then again I am honestly feeling like most areas of discourse is being limited by going over the same areas in the same way.
* Repetitive. Does it reiterate the same point(s)?
Thoughts & Feelings
I. Whiteness
A. Whiteness has such a chokehold on Blackness . – The overwhelming centering of whiteness is in the way of Black imaginations and restoration.
B. We give so much power to whiteness. What probably really frustrates me is we do not get far enough to dig deeper to get to certain conversations because so much of our voice is given to talking about whiteness.
C. You have to find your direction/purpose outside the white gaze.
II. Trauma
A. Pessimism: There is a growing Black pessimism we need to talk about.
Many are bracing for impact because of the constant of Black violence.
How do we address the issues happening and still keep our optimism? How do we stop bracing for impact?
Also read: You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience
– which talked about and had a possible solution to this.
B. Society rewards Black trauma – I wonder if this type of reward traps certain people with specific trauma(s)?
I think folks who are constantly in the middle of these conversations around/about whiteness are psychologically harmed in certain ways.
C. Two Edged Sword: Trauma & Joy
On one hand we don’t talk trauma/our hurts enough while on the other hand there is not enough restoration.
It would be interesting looking collectively and individually how we talk Black joy & trauma.
There is an obsession with Black folks pain/trauma it is like so weird. What annoys me (and many other Black people honestly) is when there is so much emphasis on our pain that there is no room for our joy.
I feel that there is a perception that our only trauma/pain/emotional space is race related.
III. Restoration:
A. What do you do to release your pain/trauma? To heal?
B. The expectation for Black women bodies to do healing and not to be healed was an interesting point.
C. I am interested in the manifestations of our traumas. I believe there is catharsis and healing in naming our traumas.
Our bodies generationally have been violated (sexually/nonsexually) that manifests in how we view touch.
IV. Religion: Has been used to harm and heal.
A. I think Black people attach to religion to circumnavigate white supremacy. Religion is used as a force to protect against the massive insidious force that is white supremacy. Also, I believe there is a connection with religion & accepting uncertainty.
B. The tussle of grace vs vengeance especially as religious people whose religion is about forgiveness in systems where there is seemingly no justice.
V. Black joy:
A. It can be small and simple.
B. It can be selfish- or more about self.
C. We have to access it outside whiteness and maybe sometimes Black folks.
D. It does not have to be a movement. There is something about how society makes us (Black folks) feel everything we do has to be a rebellion/statement.
E. At the same time Black joy is a statement/rebellion
F. We have to address/speak on our pain & trauma and joy.
G. What does Black joy require of us? What do we feel we have to give up and gain to access it?
H. Intergenerational joy. I thought this was an interesting term that was mentioned because at times it can feel like we are vilifying our ancestors with the way we speak about them like all they passed down is pain. Untrue.
I think (I know) there are manifestations of joy from us which would have been a good topic to explore more on.
I. We have to write our joy in.
I won this book in a giveaway on goodreads from Gallery Books
February 13, 2022
In her eighteenth book, Lewis-Giggetts tackles one of life’s greatest challenges, finding joy amidst trauma. In particular: Black joy. The book spring-boarded from an essay in the Washinton post on Black joy. This book is a journey through devastating loss, but ultimately one about resilience. This book goes beyond the Black-trauma narrative to uncover the riches beneath.
There were so many fantastic things in this book., and most of them came with tears of sadness and joy. The book's theme is around joy and how you can find it amid crippling grief. Tracey’s anguish was so palpable, but so was her hope. One passage at the heart of the book that stood out was when she wrote: "When attempts are made to define what liberation and equity look like for black people, we often hear the language of striving and collective burdens, and rightfully so. Our history is filled with the evidence that struggle and dogmatic persistence has been integral to our four-hundred-year-long freedom project. As more and more studies reveal, the lens of struggle as the means to freedom has not come without a cost. The physical, psychological, and spiritual impact of racial trauma has often found us crossing the finishing line of every battle war-torn and broken from the inside out. As a writer, storyteller, and black contemplative, I'm not sure I can ignore this for much longer, especially when there is another significant tool in our arsenal, one that not only deeply disturbs the racist systems we are trying to dismantle but also offers a direct path to healing and wholeness as we do. That weapon is powerful and all-encompassing, and necessary. That weapon is joy."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/tra...
There were so many fantastic things in this book., and most of them came with tears of sadness and joy. The book's theme is around joy and how you can find it amid crippling grief. Tracey’s anguish was so palpable, but so was her hope. One passage at the heart of the book that stood out was when she wrote: "When attempts are made to define what liberation and equity look like for black people, we often hear the language of striving and collective burdens, and rightfully so. Our history is filled with the evidence that struggle and dogmatic persistence has been integral to our four-hundred-year-long freedom project. As more and more studies reveal, the lens of struggle as the means to freedom has not come without a cost. The physical, psychological, and spiritual impact of racial trauma has often found us crossing the finishing line of every battle war-torn and broken from the inside out. As a writer, storyteller, and black contemplative, I'm not sure I can ignore this for much longer, especially when there is another significant tool in our arsenal, one that not only deeply disturbs the racist systems we are trying to dismantle but also offers a direct path to healing and wholeness as we do. That weapon is powerful and all-encompassing, and necessary. That weapon is joy."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/tra...
July 14, 2022
"We must relearn how to be present."
"Black Joy...is a mechanism for resistance, a method of resilience, and a master plan for restoration."
Black Joy is an uplifting, powerful and reflective book. The author uses her own experiences to help readers navigate the road of holding on to our joy. Black Joy is an essential read that helps you find that balance between joy and pain. It is a collection of essays that focus on the Black Joy within America through the lens of one Black Woman’s experience. The writing was transparent, vulnerable and honest. Trauma is expected and joy is hoped for in the Black community and finding ways to obtain joy through trauma seems impossible. This essay collection shows that Black Joy is a possibility.
"Black Joy...is a mechanism for resistance, a method of resilience, and a master plan for restoration."
Black Joy is an uplifting, powerful and reflective book. The author uses her own experiences to help readers navigate the road of holding on to our joy. Black Joy is an essential read that helps you find that balance between joy and pain. It is a collection of essays that focus on the Black Joy within America through the lens of one Black Woman’s experience. The writing was transparent, vulnerable and honest. Trauma is expected and joy is hoped for in the Black community and finding ways to obtain joy through trauma seems impossible. This essay collection shows that Black Joy is a possibility.
March 16, 2023
I enjoyed this book so much. I have been writing about joy over the past year, and this book helped me solidify joy as a tool for healing, escape resistance, and community. Lewis-Giggetts' memoir-style book is Black from start to finish from her grammar to her southern experiences. Coming from the Black Christian tradition, I found her book relatable, and her critiques of the Black church as the site of meritocracy, respectability, and Black bourgeoisie values spot on. This book can also be helpful for those who attribute acceptance to value but are hesitant to accept love. Lewis-Giggetts ties meritocracy to performance and deconstructs the ways that this plays out in her life as a Black woman dealing with misogynoir, anti-blackness, and physical oppression.
Read
February 17, 2024this book was insightful, discussing the ways in which Black folk often navigate a country dominated by white supremacy and how that affects their minds, bodies, and spirits. it also made me more aware of my positionality and presence as a white person. throughout the book, the author explores the collective need of Black folk to tap into joy as a means of resistance, resilience, and restoration. she shares that Black joy isn't something that occurs outside the experience/presence of pain, but a tool to wield in the face of it. it's a steady, internal source that can be drawn from, not something elicited, necessarily, by outside forces. Lewis-Giggetts also delves into her faith and how that has shaped her standpoint about joy and the means to experience it. glad to have picked this up!
February 23, 2024
Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration
Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts
Thoughtful and wise, Black Joy is a celebratory, insightful collection of personal essays, urging Black folks to embrace joy as a form of resistance, resilience and for healing restoration.
I read a lot of Black-authored books, but this might be the first time I felt like an intruder, reading something not meant for me. That said, I'm so glad I read it, and I'd still recommend to non-Black readers with open hearts and minds.❤️
📌 Please see ownvoices reviews
Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts
Thoughtful and wise, Black Joy is a celebratory, insightful collection of personal essays, urging Black folks to embrace joy as a form of resistance, resilience and for healing restoration.
I read a lot of Black-authored books, but this might be the first time I felt like an intruder, reading something not meant for me. That said, I'm so glad I read it, and I'd still recommend to non-Black readers with open hearts and minds.❤️
📌 Please see ownvoices reviews
June 10, 2025
What a powerful, timely, and enlightening read. Wonderful to read this in community with others. This was a book not meant for me as a white person and also provided a deeper context for my own journey of self-awareness, grace, humility and continual anti-racist work.
March 22, 2022
"If the means is joy, the end must be our healing."
This collection of 36 short essays is separated into 3 parts: As resistance, As resilience, As restoration. It reminds me of Cleo Wade's Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life in that it feels like a book without rules; it can be read front to back or even by choosing an essay at random.
It covers a range of topics from that center healing, joy, gratitude, freedom, and Black people while recognizing that Blackness is not monolithic - covering the duality of resisting categorization and claiming categories (e.g., when it comes to representation mattering or not or double consciousness being good or not, "it's always both/and and never either/or".).
The most moving sections to me were about her daughter. This book is even dedicated to her, stating "May your joy always be limitless and liberating." As a fellow mother of a joyous, confident, bright daughter who wants to protect her against the world stealing any of those things from her, I appreciate Lewis-Giggetts' saying, "Her experience of joy will be shaped by us, for sure. Like an archer pointing our bow and arrow in the direction of the ideal target, we will do our best in light of the systemic challenges to set the trajectory of her life in the direction of love, peace, joy, patience, discipline, grace, mercy, fun, and prosperity. But we do not control the wind. Boy, do I wish we did."
It wasn't until I finished the book and read the 'About the Author' section that I realized I had read Lewis-Giggets before, her essay in You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience, "Love Lifted Me: Subverting Shame Narratives and Legitimizing Vulnerability as a Mechanism for Healing Women in the Black Church". I especially remember the last line of that essay, "The church has so much more than shame to give us."
In a world full of anti-Blackness, where our full humanity is often not recognized, this book serves as a great reminder that "Our joy is ever intertwined with our struggle; ever integrated with the trauma wielded against us."
Thank you to Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts, NetGalley, and Gallery Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.) for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This collection of 36 short essays is separated into 3 parts: As resistance, As resilience, As restoration. It reminds me of Cleo Wade's Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life in that it feels like a book without rules; it can be read front to back or even by choosing an essay at random.
It covers a range of topics from that center healing, joy, gratitude, freedom, and Black people while recognizing that Blackness is not monolithic - covering the duality of resisting categorization and claiming categories (e.g., when it comes to representation mattering or not or double consciousness being good or not, "it's always both/and and never either/or".).
The most moving sections to me were about her daughter. This book is even dedicated to her, stating "May your joy always be limitless and liberating." As a fellow mother of a joyous, confident, bright daughter who wants to protect her against the world stealing any of those things from her, I appreciate Lewis-Giggetts' saying, "Her experience of joy will be shaped by us, for sure. Like an archer pointing our bow and arrow in the direction of the ideal target, we will do our best in light of the systemic challenges to set the trajectory of her life in the direction of love, peace, joy, patience, discipline, grace, mercy, fun, and prosperity. But we do not control the wind. Boy, do I wish we did."
It wasn't until I finished the book and read the 'About the Author' section that I realized I had read Lewis-Giggets before, her essay in You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience, "Love Lifted Me: Subverting Shame Narratives and Legitimizing Vulnerability as a Mechanism for Healing Women in the Black Church". I especially remember the last line of that essay, "The church has so much more than shame to give us."
In a world full of anti-Blackness, where our full humanity is often not recognized, this book serves as a great reminder that "Our joy is ever intertwined with our struggle; ever integrated with the trauma wielded against us."
Thank you to Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts, NetGalley, and Gallery Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.) for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2023
This was a beautiful book on many levels. I picked this up at the library by essentially judging it by its cover. What I found was a book that is part memoir and part social commentary on race and the importance of finding a path to happiness.
As a white person, I gained more perspective on the ways in which white supremacy and class conflict steal the joy of Black Americans. I believe this book is written more for a Black audience, as it's a space dedicated to addressing multigenerational trauma perpetuated by a history of racism and oppression and about finding the reasons to reframe this trauma, and not just live life, but persevere. I think this is an important addition to the social commentary on Black Liberation, especially in 2023.
As a white person, I gained more perspective on the ways in which white supremacy and class conflict steal the joy of Black Americans. I believe this book is written more for a Black audience, as it's a space dedicated to addressing multigenerational trauma perpetuated by a history of racism and oppression and about finding the reasons to reframe this trauma, and not just live life, but persevere. I think this is an important addition to the social commentary on Black Liberation, especially in 2023.
February 13, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the voice was really compelling and spoke with complete conviction and openness. At times, the essays felt repetitive in their assertions about joy, but some essays were completely unique and extraordinary. I didn’t like the addition of headings in some of the essays, I would have preferred they all have the same structure instead of some with headings and some without.
March 26, 2022
What are you born to do?
Our healing is wrapped up in this answer.
The answer is within us.
The moment we find it, is the moment we unlock so much joy..🤎🤎
Imagine holding a sign with what you are born to do...
I'm currently working on my sign..🎨
Black Joy; Stories of Resistance, Resilience and Restoration is a book that I recommend to everyone. This book helps you find that balance between joy and pain.That balance is what keeps us grounded.
Our healing is wrapped up in this answer.
The answer is within us.
The moment we find it, is the moment we unlock so much joy..🤎🤎
Imagine holding a sign with what you are born to do...
I'm currently working on my sign..🎨
Black Joy; Stories of Resistance, Resilience and Restoration is a book that I recommend to everyone. This book helps you find that balance between joy and pain.That balance is what keeps us grounded.
June 4, 2023
I didn't know what to expect going into it, but I ended up enjoying it. The flow between ea essay deff created momentum, but I think a lot of these can be read separately. I liked how joy was depicted with duality and I identified with the parts about self worth, being in relation with nonblack ppl, touch as a healing modality, the list goes on..
at a point, i was skeptical that this would have a lot Christianity weaved into it, but it read more spiritual. Walking away I'm feeling affirmed.
at a point, i was skeptical that this would have a lot Christianity weaved into it, but it read more spiritual. Walking away I'm feeling affirmed.
February 20, 2024
I’ve read a lot of memoirs and this is by far one of the best. She invites readers to go on a journey and examine lived experiences in a way that was entirely new to me. I found my self reading linearly at first, and then jumping back to prior chapters to re-read and discovering something new. This is a book you’ll want to keep on your shelf because it is layered in such a way that you want to keep it near when you need to re-kindle your reflections on identity.
February 17, 2022
This is a good memoir about Black joy: the difficulty in obtaining it (due to racism, sexual abuse, etc), the necessity of having it, and the different ways of going about getting/receiving joy.
(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not influence my rating. I genuinely like the book.)
(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not influence my rating. I genuinely like the book.)
March 16, 2022
A hard read in some ways, sometimes depressing, but ultimately affirming.
I especially like how the author reiterates that the Black experience isn't monolithic, that Black individuals each bring our own brand and perspective to Blackness, which is so true.
Again—affirming.
I especially like how the author reiterates that the Black experience isn't monolithic, that Black individuals each bring our own brand and perspective to Blackness, which is so true.
Again—affirming.
January 4, 2023
Great read. It explained why Black Joy is needed. How to find it.
August 23, 2024
Someone in the Goodreads top reviews wrote that this is warm and I get what they mean. This is incredibly beautiful and moving storytelling. HIGHLY recommend! And TW, mentions of underage sexual assault and police brutality
November 5, 2025
3.5
Really enjoyed this and some essays will stick with me, but I think they could have condensed this from 28 to 18 essays and had more of an impact. Some themes blurred towards the end.
Really enjoyed this and some essays will stick with me, but I think they could have condensed this from 28 to 18 essays and had more of an impact. Some themes blurred towards the end.
April 30, 2022
"I'm curious. What gave you license to do what you did? And what did you end up doing with my innocence? Because you seemed to need it pretty damn bad. When those who would have or should have protected me were held captive by silence, you seemed inexplicably desperate. Only a few years in this world I didn't have words for it. Couldn't articulate what I clearly recognize now as your attempt to extract my soul from my body one touch at a time."
The author, Tracey Lewis-Giggetts, discusses ways to move trauma out of the body through dance, sports, music and meditation. Trauma not only traps itself it our minds but in our physical bodies too (muscles, joints) and can make us sick if not identified and treated. The author then asks:
"Who are we as Black folks, particularly in America, outside of the trauma of our arrival and the continued impact of racism?"
I really had to think hard about this question. Racism affects my life in a huge way, whether it is in corporate spaces or everyday life. Lewis-Giggetts discusses having to code-switch in corporate environments, which also includes how Black women wear their hair. I will no longer abandon my locs, afro, braids or any other natural 4C hair style to accommodate the ignorance of white people in corporate spaces. Either take all of me, or nothing at all. To help these forms of micro-aggressions and outright racism Black people experience it might be wise to seek the help of a racial trauma therapist.
"We have a high level of emotional resilience, but our bodies don't and our bodies begin to break down. Racial trauma relates to the race-based stress that people of color, experience from seeing other people of color, indigenous people being harmed publicly facing constant re-exposure to it. It's like post traumatic stress disorder. It causes fear, hyper-vigilance, shame, guilt, anxiety, and depression "
The author highlights how important it is to find ways to release trauma and stress from our muscles. Racism tends to tear your body down over time and you must find ways to treat your trauma.
Lewis-Giggetts state's:
"I feel the emotion bubbling just below the surface. My body is a volcano, active & preparing for eruption. I want to cry. I want to fight. I want to kick, sob, punch, wail. I've held this pain in for too long. And now it's clamoring for escape"
I found this description of the rage she felt in her body to be very powerful. She then continues to find ways to calm herself down...through nature. This book is incredible.
The author, Tracey Lewis-Giggetts, discusses ways to move trauma out of the body through dance, sports, music and meditation. Trauma not only traps itself it our minds but in our physical bodies too (muscles, joints) and can make us sick if not identified and treated. The author then asks:
"Who are we as Black folks, particularly in America, outside of the trauma of our arrival and the continued impact of racism?"
I really had to think hard about this question. Racism affects my life in a huge way, whether it is in corporate spaces or everyday life. Lewis-Giggetts discusses having to code-switch in corporate environments, which also includes how Black women wear their hair. I will no longer abandon my locs, afro, braids or any other natural 4C hair style to accommodate the ignorance of white people in corporate spaces. Either take all of me, or nothing at all. To help these forms of micro-aggressions and outright racism Black people experience it might be wise to seek the help of a racial trauma therapist.
"We have a high level of emotional resilience, but our bodies don't and our bodies begin to break down. Racial trauma relates to the race-based stress that people of color, experience from seeing other people of color, indigenous people being harmed publicly facing constant re-exposure to it. It's like post traumatic stress disorder. It causes fear, hyper-vigilance, shame, guilt, anxiety, and depression "
The author highlights how important it is to find ways to release trauma and stress from our muscles. Racism tends to tear your body down over time and you must find ways to treat your trauma.
Lewis-Giggetts state's:
"I feel the emotion bubbling just below the surface. My body is a volcano, active & preparing for eruption. I want to cry. I want to fight. I want to kick, sob, punch, wail. I've held this pain in for too long. And now it's clamoring for escape"
I found this description of the rage she felt in her body to be very powerful. She then continues to find ways to calm herself down...through nature. This book is incredible.
March 11, 2024
Now THIS is what I needed! I picked this up as a palette cleanser after not really loving "Between the World and Me," but this author's approach was more than just a balancing out of what left me cold before--this book radiates positive warmth and light and life!
She still talks about trauma and white supremacy all the time, but I can see where she's coming from. At the very end, she talks about this book being "her truth," and that there could be others. I accept at face value her perception of reality--I'm clearly not the primary intended audience for this, anyway, so I tried to eavesdrop respectfully, and I got a lot out of that. There were so many anecdotes that I loved in here--the best books are the ones that make you feel like you've gotten to know a great person better.
This is a book brimming with, well, JOY! The author doesn't wallow in trauma, she actively combats it every way she knows how, and that is where the joy comes from. There are plenty of things I could take away from that journey (and this very much *is* a story about the author's life journey) as she navigates the highs and lows, the ins and outs of her existence. Anybody could benefit from trying on some of her methods for living deeply and well, despite oppression. As one example, I'm going to try making chili with spaghetti in it :)
Her mantra is maybe best expressed near the end (and this is a book that absolutely gets better and better the further on it goes), when she aspired for her daughter to "experience joy alongside of or within the reality of the world she lives in." None of us can do any more, and I want to be better at helping everyone to do just that. I feel like this book was enjoyable step in that direction.
Thank you, Ms. Lewis-Giggetts, for writing this book.
She still talks about trauma and white supremacy all the time, but I can see where she's coming from. At the very end, she talks about this book being "her truth," and that there could be others. I accept at face value her perception of reality--I'm clearly not the primary intended audience for this, anyway, so I tried to eavesdrop respectfully, and I got a lot out of that. There were so many anecdotes that I loved in here--the best books are the ones that make you feel like you've gotten to know a great person better.
This is a book brimming with, well, JOY! The author doesn't wallow in trauma, she actively combats it every way she knows how, and that is where the joy comes from. There are plenty of things I could take away from that journey (and this very much *is* a story about the author's life journey) as she navigates the highs and lows, the ins and outs of her existence. Anybody could benefit from trying on some of her methods for living deeply and well, despite oppression. As one example, I'm going to try making chili with spaghetti in it :)
Her mantra is maybe best expressed near the end (and this is a book that absolutely gets better and better the further on it goes), when she aspired for her daughter to "experience joy alongside of or within the reality of the world she lives in." None of us can do any more, and I want to be better at helping everyone to do just that. I feel like this book was enjoyable step in that direction.
Thank you, Ms. Lewis-Giggetts, for writing this book.
March 1, 2024
Season of Nonviolence Book Pick 2024:
"If you are the type of person who clinches your reality desperately as a way to remain safe and sure and sane, joy can loosen your grip just enough that your heart and mind can dream again" (p. 66).
"Maybe we should all just go make our own signs. Declare our birthrights to the world and the people who run it. Let the chips fall where they may" (p. 193).
"There is a Reiki healing principle that says: 'Just for today, I will do my work honestly.' Just. For. Today. The Christian Bible says: 'Let tomorrow worry about itself' (Matthew 6:34). I say: 'All we really have is this moment...and this one. Honor it'" (p.237).
"I may not be able to overhaul the way humanity has chosen to mark time. But if my healing and liberty depend on me taking control over how I divvy out my own minutes and hours, then I will choose twelve or eight or three-whatever I can grasp-hours of joy a day forever and ever, amen" (p. 249).
"When my time comes, I want to die empty. Not empty as in having a huge void. More like knowing that I pursued and maybe even accomplished every dream I'd ever dreamt. That I've fulfilled every purpose assigned by my God. That I've given away every gift I had to be used and replicated for future generations. That I've left a full legacy to be poured out by others again and again" (p. 253).
"If you are the type of person who clinches your reality desperately as a way to remain safe and sure and sane, joy can loosen your grip just enough that your heart and mind can dream again" (p. 66).
"Maybe we should all just go make our own signs. Declare our birthrights to the world and the people who run it. Let the chips fall where they may" (p. 193).
"There is a Reiki healing principle that says: 'Just for today, I will do my work honestly.' Just. For. Today. The Christian Bible says: 'Let tomorrow worry about itself' (Matthew 6:34). I say: 'All we really have is this moment...and this one. Honor it'" (p.237).
"I may not be able to overhaul the way humanity has chosen to mark time. But if my healing and liberty depend on me taking control over how I divvy out my own minutes and hours, then I will choose twelve or eight or three-whatever I can grasp-hours of joy a day forever and ever, amen" (p. 249).
"When my time comes, I want to die empty. Not empty as in having a huge void. More like knowing that I pursued and maybe even accomplished every dream I'd ever dreamt. That I've fulfilled every purpose assigned by my God. That I've given away every gift I had to be used and replicated for future generations. That I've left a full legacy to be poured out by others again and again" (p. 253).
November 10, 2022
Somehow I had gotten the idea that this book was a collection of essays by a variety of folks. It was not. This was not inherently bad, but it took me several essays to get into the swing of things. Once I did, I found much to ponder. This is not a book written to pump you up with toxic positivity or reassure a white audience that everything is just fine, racism is not a problem. But it's also not a bleak book. It's a collection of reflections and ruminations--about how the Black experience is circumscribed and shaped by racism, yes, but also about self knowledge, personal growth, community, shared experiences, healing, and family. It embraces a rich and nuanced life. A "yes and". A frank and personal conversation.
February 1, 2024
This book was right on time for me 💯 Currently in an era of slowing down and allowing joy to…just be. Reading this author’s trials and triumphs made me appreciate her vulnerability. She laid it bear it on these pages through her authenticity and livelihood. I loved the way she viewed the world through her daughter’s eyes. Allowing her to be free but “guiding” her along the way because of this cruel world we live in. Realizing that black childrens’ joy are limited, from birth to adulthood. Harsh reality but it also signifies the importance and need for black joy in EVERY aspect of our lives. Now…I reinforce joy in my life. Working on making it a daily practice. Thankfully this book gave me the right push to start ❤️
February 27, 2025
I love Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts’ focus on joy being a form of resistance. The book is a great tool for anyone looking to inject joy into their lives to help traverse difficulties, but its focus on intersectionality, bigotry, misogynoir, and racist societal structures gives it a stronger purpose. This book should be a learning tool for white people to confront their biases, microagressions, and behaviors and help uplift and celebrate Black joy in all forms. But, as Lewis-Giggetts puts so well, strength and change won’t come from allies, it will come from Black communities in the diaspora who will use joy to embrace living fully, taking space, and unapologetically being who they are. This book is a must read.
March 8, 2022
Honestly, this was an amazing read. I read enjoy the lyrical flow to the essays within this collection. This book is a collection of essays that focus on the Black Joy within America through the lens of one Black Woman’s experience. It features stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration. Most importantly, it shows the vastness of Black Joy, and I really appreciated that. I did have the opportunity to see myself in some of the words while also learning from the other words. It was an amazing book for me to read during this Women’s History Month.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 14, 2022
Throughout this book, I cried. Although I am older than the author, memories were brought back to my time living in the house with my parents, living in public housing with my single mother, going away to college, joining the military, and raising my sons while coming to understand who I am and that the black face in the mirror has stories to tell.
This book is an inspiration and also a tool for learning leadership; one's leadership. I highly recommend this read and will request it go in the school library at the current school where I work.
Stories are told. Laughs abound. Tears are shed. Read this book and also listen to it.
This book is an inspiration and also a tool for learning leadership; one's leadership. I highly recommend this read and will request it go in the school library at the current school where I work.
Stories are told. Laughs abound. Tears are shed. Read this book and also listen to it.
November 6, 2023
Black Joy helped me to see the difference between happiness and joy. It’s the things we don’t talk about that can change our lives for the better. After reading Black Joy I realized what we have as African Americans is more deeply rooted. It resides within us just like many of our traumas dating back to slavery. In fact, we have Black Joy because of slavery and other atrocities we as a people have suffered in recent times. I put this book in the self-help category, because I closed its pages feeling empowered to know, no matter what I experience, I can remind myself that I have Black Joy and no one can take it away from me.
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