Category: JOY

Judith Jamison: The Woman Who Danced Like She Had Every Right to Take Up Space
What the legendary Alvin Ailey dancer teaches us about confidence, expression, and honoring our bodies
There are some performers you watch, and the [...]

Jungle Boogie: The Joy of Funk and Giving Yourself Permission to Feel Good
Sometimes the music reminds us that we are still alive, and that is reason enough to dance.
There is something wonderfully uplifting about “Jungle Bo [...]

The Cabin Kids: Black Children, Beautiful Voices, and the Joy We Kept Singing Into the World
Black history holds more than what was done to us. It holds everything we created, loved, celebrated, and shared with the world.
Watching old foota [...]

Janet Jackson’s Control: The 1986 Album That Taught Young Women to Expect Respect
Before we had today's language for boundaries, emotional labor, and relationship expectations, Janet Jackson was singing about them.
In 1986, Janet [...]

Grief Comes Back Again and Again. So Can Love.
How remembrance, music, and personal tributes can help us live with loss
There is something especially beautiful about the hip-hop classic They Rem [...]
🎃 Black Sitcom Halloween Episodes: The Ultimate Watchlist for a Cozy Night In or a Watch Party With Friends
From Martin and Living Single to Girlfriends, Family Matters, Abbott Elementary, and more.
There is something special about revisiting the televisi [...]

Angie Stone, Roberta Flack & Gwen McCrae: The Power of Their Musical Legacy
Angie Stone’s Music Pulled Us Through—And Now, She’s Gone.
Angie Stone has passed, and somehow, it still doesn’t feel real.
During one of my [...]

How Singing is Surprisingly Good for Your Health
There's a vocal teacher on Youtube that I love, and I wanted to share her with you. Kristel Cherelle's approach reminds me of our choir teachers back [...]

10 Lessons Women Can Take From Star Jones, Al Reynolds, and Everybody Who Had Something to Say
There was a time when Star Jones and Al Reynolds seemed to be everywhere.
The proposal came at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. Then came the enormous w [...]

7 Survival Lessons From Eve: Your Life Is Allowed to Have More Than One Act
Some chapters prove you can survive. Others remind you that survival was never supposed to be the whole story.
I love Eve's music.
Let me get th [...]