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How We Found Black Joy Abroad
Three women have launched an online magazine that unapologetically celebrates our pursuit of happiness
After four years of living in London, I decided a few years ago, to return to France where I had grown up. Prior to this, I had questioned my relationship to French society. It started back in grade school: My primary teacher, a White man, scolded me during an afternoon break. He ordered me to stop running because I was no longer in my tribe. I was 6 years old.
I became cautious of the French system. My self-expression seemed unwelcomed.
This traumatic incident warned me about demonstrating happiness. I became cautious of the French system. My self-expression seemed unwelcomed.
Black joy, “la joie des Noirs,” is a term that actually cannot be translated into French because, in France, race is not a defining feature. A claim of belonging to a community other than French could be considered a betrayal to laicity. Knowing that, I wondered if France was a place of Black joy for Black women?
While in England, I was introduced to inspiring women like Alice Gbelia, founder of Ayoka, an online platform that celebrates Black women through art. I also met Nadina Ali, a talented…
