Recently, NPR shared a beautiful article highlighting the Museum of Black Joy, whose greeting is empowering and perfect in its simplicity: “I see you. You are beautiful.” The museum features the gorgeous and evocative photography of Andrea Walls, who was just looking to spend more time in her own life focusing on joy.

Andrea Walls Focuses on Black Joy

The Museum of Black Joy started as a daily photo challenge Andrea Walls set for herself. Inspired by The Black Joy Project, Bettina Love, and so many other Black-led initiatives and foundations. Her background is in poetry, and that rhythmic movement and grace are often what she captures in her Black joy photographs. One of our favorites is the “As Seen through the Keyhole” video collage set to Narcissus Hinton’s version of “This Little Light of Mine.” The powerful visual piece is paired perfectly with a song that is familiar and can bring up strong happy memories for so many people. It really is a small moment of Black joy.

The Pandemic & Black Joy

Walls launched the online exhibition of her museum on January 1, 2020, unaware how much more important capturing those small moments of joy were about to become. She talks about how important it is to still showcase the small pieces of joy, even as so many other outside influences tell you that this time should be full of pain and uncertainty.

In the NPR article, Walls shares a particularly powerful thought about Black joy: “The way we’ve arranged the history of Black people in America – it hasn’t centered joy. But we’ve always lived it.” So often the narrative around the Black experience highlights the strength in the struggle and the toil that Black Americans and their families have faced for generations. But there’s also a thread of jubilation throughout Black history – and it’s evident in the songs, stories, and art that comes from celebrating those snippets of Black joy.

The Future of the Museum of Black Joy

Right now, the Museum of Black Joy has a number of featured artists, including Ken McFarlane, Charlyn Magdalene Griffith Oro, Wit López, Mz. Icar, and muthi reed.

Walls is currently looking for a physical space to expand the Museum of Black Joy, and also has a few things premiering this fall, which you can stay informed about by visiting the museum’s Coming Soon page.

Create Your Own Black Joy and Share It with the Harlems of the World

Many people find joy in their work. And as Black CEOs, lawyers, entertainers, and business professionals, that Black Joy can be so infectious. Why not take that passion and charisma and channel it into a podcast that inspires, empowers, or excites the people you are trying to reach with your brand’s mission? HarlemAmerica Digital Network is a space for Black professionals to create podcasts and TV shows that showcase your expertise and dedication to your craft.

Interested? Check out our website to learn more about partnering with HarlemAmerica to gain fame, fortune, and followers.