With a phrase first coined by poet Toi Derricotte in her anthology, The Telly Cycles, “joy as an act of resistance” has become an anthem for many young Blacks seeking refuge and recovery from the saturated news cycle of oppression.
Black joy has become a type of “internally driven” happiness that can happen when someone consciously chooses pleasure as a way to combat past and present trauma.
Expressions and acts of Black joy are often encouraged as a way for Black people to fully be themselves and form a sense of community as a response to systems that devalue them and stifle their self-expression. The concept became more widespread when in 2015 Kleaver Cruz felt overwhelmed by “Black death and pain.” He started the Black Joy Project. He made a vow that for 30 days he would use social media to post images of Black joy.
“What I love about The Black Joy Project is that it doesn’t shy away from any activist movements or from difficult conversations," says Rakia Clark. "It offers another way to access them. It shows activism as more than suffering."
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“I find and create joy by baking, laughing, writing to heal, and surrounding myself with like-minded people. I celebrate and uplift myself [and my] community by holding intentional space for love, hard conversions, and compassion.” — Alex Elle
“I’ve seen and felt a huge difference in the way I feel when I celebrate myself versus when I’m being my biggest critic. Something that I’ve picked up from writer Ashley Simpo is loving myself in my love languages of service and gift giving. So far, that looks like giving myself flowers and rethinking chores as something ‘I have to do’ and more like a task that supports me in feeling good in my body.” — Tomi Akitunde “I find and create joy every day by taking care of myself and indulging in pleasures that lift my spirits. I recently cut off all my hair and donated it to Locks of Love. This act has brought such a renewed sense of energy and joy to my daily life. Not only has it decreased my hair care management time, but it has [also] given me the courage to step into new endeavors in my life and take risks!” — Hillary Lopes “Joy looked like family when I was growing up, with [them] affording me space and opportunities to develop passions and pursue them. Joy and soulcare connect in my life now as I place myself in spaces of exploring curiosity and possibility, and mandate that the work I contribute my gifts to is intentional and purposeful.” — Anthony Demby “I believe in my core that joy is a resistance. Everyday that I choose joy, when there are still people who believe Black people are not entitled to it, is a day I take back my power. Everyday I choose to share my joy, my wins, and my resilience publicly through my business is a day I inspire others to do the same. I don’t have the power to change the racism that exists in America’s soul, but I do have the power to raise awareness and call it out when I see it. There is no place like joy.” — Pia Thompson RESOURCES
https://www.today.com/news/celebrate-black-history-1/black-joy-meet-10-people-exemplify-rcna13051 https://www.instagram.com/theblackjoyproject/ https://www.rattle.com/from-the-telly-cycle-by-toi-derricotte/ https://voiceofoc.org/2021/02/celebrating-black-joy-as-an-alternative-form-of-resistance-and-reclaiming-of-humanity/ https://www.warhol.org/events/shop-talk-kleaver-cruz-and-devan-shimoyama/ https://www.keyssoulcare.com/mind/how-i-celebrate-black-joy.html |
In 2022, we featured 12 Black Pioneers in the fields of Health and Wellness, the 2022 theme for Black History Month.
Adapted from AFPA, American Fitness Professionals and Associates
Adapted from AFPA, American Fitness Professionals and Associates
12 BLACK PIONEERS OF HEALTH & WELLNESS
Dr. James McCune Smith was the first Black American to obtain a medical degree. He was a brilliant and applied student from early on who defended the virtues of education. He was a prominent abolitionist and worked with Frederick Douglass to establish the National Council of Colored People during the National Colored Convention in Rochester, New York, in 1855, a body that was instrumental in advancing Black people’s rights. In addition to practicing medicine, in the words of historian Thomas M. Morgan, “Smith was instrumental in making the overthrow of slavery credible and successful.”
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Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black American physician in the United States. She had a passion for caring for the ill and boldly applied to the New England Female Medical College in 1860, only ten years after it was founded. In 1864, Dr. Crumpler became the first and only Black graduate of the New England Female Medical College, since the College closed its doors in 1873. Additionally, Dr. Crumpler was one of only 300 women physicians registered in 1860 and the only Black woman physician in the United States for years to come. In 1883, Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler published A Book of Medical Discourses, which was the first medical text written by a Black author, was used by physicians of all races for years to come.
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Mary Eliza Mahoney is the first Black woman to have completed her nurses’ training and to have received her license to work as a nurse after completing training in the nursing school of the New England Hospital for Women and Children in 1879. Shortly afterward, Mahoney became one of the first Black members of the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada and the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. Mahoney was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame in 1976 and into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. In addition to being a nursing pioneer, she was also a big proponent of women’s suffrage. Mahoney was one of the first women to register to vote in Boston upon the 19th Amendment’s ratification on August 26, 1920.
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Dr. Daniel Hale Williams was a physician who founded Provident Hospital, the first hospital to have an interracial staff. He was one of the first physicians in history to perform open-heart surgery, and the man on whom he performed the surgery lived for many years after the operation.
In 1894, Williams was appointed chief surgeon of the Freedman’s Hospital, founded to provide care for formerly enslaved Black Americans. He is credited with the facilities’ revitalization and renewal and the extension and diversification of the hospital’s services. In 1895, he co-founded the National Medical Association, geared toward Black medical professionals. For close to two decades, he continued his practice as an experienced surgeon and administrator at many hospitals and instructed physicians at several institutions, where he rallied for Black professionals’ presence in medicine. |
Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller is the first Black American psychiatrist and a pioneer in the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, having studied directly under Alois Alzheimer himself. While performing autopsies that other physicians didn’t want to perform, he made several medical discoveries that related to pathology. While working in Germany, he became an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of syphilis and trained doctors with his knowledge. He was also an advocate for Black war veterans who came through his care. Upon returning to the US, he continued his research on Alzheimer’s, alongside teaching in the Boston area. His work helped the English-speaking medical community understand the condition and early treatment. Dr. Carter published the first-ever comprehensive review of Alzheimer’s disease while also reporting the ninth case ever diagnosed.
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Dr. Ruth Ella Moore is the first Black person to earn a PhD in the natural sciences and made significant contributions to understanding infectious diseases. Her doctoral research focused on understanding tuberculosis, which, at the time, was a significant health risk in the United States, as the second leading cause of death. Her work was monumental in helping to find a cure for the disease a decade later. She was a loved professor at Howard University and soon became head of the Department of Bacteriology until 1960. Dr. Moore was the first woman to head any department at Howard University. Dr. Moore’s contributions and teachings helped pave the way for other Black scientists to enter the field while also helping to eradicate infectious diseases.
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Dr. Jane Cooke Wright was the first Black American woman to be named associate dean of a medical school and contributed essential findings to the understanding of cancer and created seminal programs to study chronic diseases.
Together with her father, Dr. Wright worked to advance research on anti-cancer chemicals, having achieved several patient cancer remission cases. In 1964, Dr. Wright was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke. The commission was instrumental in establishing treatment centers for chronic diseases nationwide. She was a trailblazer for oncology, having published numerous papers promoting cancer research, and opening opportunities for cancer research worldwide. |
Dr. Patricia E. Bath was an ophthalmologist, inventor, and laser scientist best known for her contributions to blindness prevention, treatment, and cure. She became the first Black American woman to earn a medical patent for her invention of a tool for cataract surgery. Dr. Bath excelled in school and began receiving awards for her scientific research at 16. She earned her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, and continued her training at New York University, where she became the first resident in ophthalmology. When asked what led her to her career path, she responded, “My love of humanity and passion for helping others inspired me to become a physician.”
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Dr. William G. Coleman Jr. was the first permanent Black scientific director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Intramural Research Program (IRP). He directed the NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. He took the leadership on research that focused primarily on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Before being appointed to the NIH, Dr. Coleman made vital contributions to understanding bacterial antibiotic resistance. These bacteria are associated with certain ulcers and cancers. According to Dr. Yvonne Maddox, former acting director of the NIH, “Dr. Coleman’s contributions to science are far-reaching. People who have never met Bill Coleman will benefit from his work, particularly in the field of infectious diseases, which present great challenges.”
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Dr. Mae C. Jemison is best known as the first Black female astronaut and the first Black American woman in space. Before becoming an astronaut, she earned her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1981. Shortly after, she became the Peace Corps medical officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia, where she taught and carried out medical research.
In 1985, she made a career change and applied to NASA’s training program. In June of 1987, she became the first African American woman to be admitted into the NASA astronaut training program. After leaving NASA in 1993, she accepted a teaching fellowship at Dartmouth. She established Jemison Group, a consulting firm that integrates critical social-cultural issues into the design of engineering and science projects. |
Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston is a pediatrician who became the first Black woman to direct a Public Health Service Bureau and whose groundbreaking research on sickle cell disease resulted in nationwide screening programs for children at birth. Gaston was born in 1939 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and eventually studied zoology at the University of Miami in Ohio after feeling too much resistance from medical and academic professionals to her studying pre-medicine. In 1986 she published the results of a groundbreaking study that proved the effectiveness of long-term penicillin treatment and by 1987, 40 states had screening programs that have saved countless lives.
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Dr. Kizzimekia Corbett, PhD, is a scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who is at the forefront of the development and production of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. At the beginning of the pandemic, she was among the few NIH scientists who briefed the White House on the coronavirus. Corbett was born in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, and grew up to earn her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2014 she was appointed to the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) and In addition to her work developing the coronavirus vaccine, she has developed a universal influenza vaccine currently in clinical trials.
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In 2021, we featured young Black Leaders who are making their own history.
BLACK HISTORY IN THE MAKING
We celebrate the history being written by young black leaders of today, including artists, entrepreneurs, and academics.
Dara Treseder is the Chief Marketing Officer at Carbon. Prior to that, she led marketing efforts at companies like Apple and Goldman Sachs. Dara is also an internationally recognized advocate for public health, women's issues, and diversity initiatives. She is currently a global advisor to UN Women initiatives.
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Tristan Walker is an entrepreneur who launched Walker & Company, which was sold to Proctor & Gamble in 2018. Since, he has launched multiple other beauty and personal care brands focused on people of color. Tristan has previously worked with brands like Express, CNN and MTV. In 2019, he was named one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 “World’s Greatest Leaders.”
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Roz Brewer is the current CEO of Walgreens and the past COO of Starbucks and and CEO of Sam’s Club. Brewer started as a scientist at Kimberly-Clark (brands like Huggies and Cottonelle). She currently sits on the Board of Directors at Amazon and was named one of Forbes Magazine Top 100 Leaders.
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Jason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audiences, including “Ghost,” a National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature. Reynolds has been selected as the seventh National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress.
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ZZ Packer is a native Chicagoan whose book “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” earned her the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” Award. Her work has been a part of The Today Show Book Club. She is currently teaching Creative Writing and working on a book about post-Civil War America.
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Ta-Nehisi Coates is an author and journalist who has written for both Marvel Comics and The New York Times Magazine. In 2015, he won the National Book Award for Non-Fiction: “Between the World and Me.” He is currently working a book about America during the Martin Luther King years.
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Marcus Samuelsson is the youngest chef ever to earn a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times. He is currently the head Chef at the Red Rooster in New York and frequently serves as a judge on the Food Network show Chopped.
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Carla Hall is multiple-year Top Chef contestant and co-host of the food and talk-show, Chew. She worked her way up from making sandwiches for colleagues to the role of Executive Chef at some of the nation’s top restaurants. Her most recent cookbook is Cooking with Love: Comfort Food that Hugs You.
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Romeo Hunte is an acclaimed fashion designer known for the fusion of his street wear collection and business attire line. He was only one of a few to have his collections recently featured during New York Fashion Week. Clients include Halle Berry and Beyonce.
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John Cameron Urschel is a former NFL player pursuing his doctorate in Mathematics at MIT. He was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 30-Under-30 to watch. He is the author of the book Mind over Matter: A Life in Math and Football.
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Erica Joy Baker is an engineer and engineering manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, known for her advocacy of diversity and inclusion. She has worked at companies including Google, Slack, and Patreon, and she is currently a Principal Group Engineer at Microsoft. She is also on the advisory board of Hack the Hood and is a tech mentor for Black Girls Code.
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Lisette Titre-Montgomery is an American video game artist and designer who has worked at Backbone Entertainment, EA Games, Ubisoft, and Double Fine Productions working on games like Zombie Apocolypse II and Psychonauts 2. She was named by Essence Magazine as one of 15 Women to Watch in the STEM field.
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Joan Higgenbotham is an Engineer and Space Shuttle Discovery Mission Specialist. She attended Whitney Young High School in Chicago and Southern Illinois University. She worked her way up through roles such as Electrical Engineer and Payload Specialist during pre-missions with shuttles Columbia and Atlantis.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science evangelist. Tyson is credited with popularizing the study of space science with his book Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. He has served on many federal commissions, including Man, Moon and Mars.
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Nikki Selvestri is the founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow, an organization that coaches social and environmental entrepreneurs. She is most interested in the intersection of ecology and the economy. She is also a Board Member of Greenpeace USA and was named by The Root as one of the 100 Most Influential African-Americans.
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Lauren Underwood is a graduate of Neuqua Valley High School and a member of the United State House of Representatives, Illinois District 14. When elected, she was the youngest black woman to ever be elected to Congress. A former Nurse, Underwood is a advocate for universal health care and was previously a Senior Advisor to the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
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Tanisha C. Ford is an author, cultural critic and historian whose book Dressed in Dreams examines the history and power of black fashion. She also writes for the Atlantic, the New York Times, and ELLE.com. She teaches courses on black feminism, fashion & beauty, movements for social justice, youth culture, and material culture.
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ImeIme Umana is the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. While attending Harvard, Umana helped curate the university’s Hip Hop Archive and also worked for the Institute of Politics. Umana also serves as a clerk for Federal Appeals Judge Robert L. Wilkins.
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Ryan Coogler is a director, writer and producer of films that have won both critical praise and box-office success, These include Creed and Black Panther. He often focuses his work on the people and topics other movies have forgotten. He has been named to be one of TIME Magazines 30-Under-30. He recently signed a long-term agreement to create exclusive content for Disney+.
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Shawn Warren is Vice President and General Manager for Large Combat and Mobility Engines and Military Systems Operation at General Electric (GE). His current project involves re-engineering the engine for one of the most iconic planes in the military, the B-52. Warren is a part of the African-American Forum at GE, which helps support African-American engineers and other employees.
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Haben Girma is the first deafblind graduate of the Harvard Law School. Deafblind is a condition that leaves a person with almost no hearing and almost no sight. Girma currently practices disability law and is an international advocate for accessibility, particularly when it comes to accessing technology.
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