Kleaver Cruz
"Centering on Black joy is not about dismissing or creating an "alternative" Black narrative that ignores the realities of our collective pain; rather, it is about holding the pain and injustice we experience as Black folks around the world in tension with the joy we experience in the pain's midst. Black joy is healing, resistance and regeneration. The two, joy and pain, are not mutually exclusive, and often we need the latter to get through the former."
“Uplifting…. This is a captivating celebration of Black resilience and resistance.”
“A stunning celebration of Black joy and resistance around the world.”
“What a book! What a wonder-full reckoning. A well of resistance, reclamation, and restorative splendor! I ate up The Black Joy Project in one grateful gulp and plan to return to these pages again and again.”
Kleaver Cruz is a Black queer writer, educator and artist who is deeply interested in the crevices of archives and history. A lover of words and their meanings across languages, they are the creator of The Black Joy Project, a digital and real-world affirmation that Black joy is resistance and author of The Black Joy Project: A Literary and Visual Love Letter to How We Thrive (Mariner, 2023). Kleaver was a 2024 nominee for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Debut Author. They have presented and conducted work across the African Diaspora and continent in places like Brazil, South Africa and The Netherlands, among other countries.
In an interview, Kleaver was asked how they might define The Black Joy Project: “The first thing that came to mind was rooms full of mirrors. The intention is to reflect back what is already there. The beauty of Black joy is that we don’t gotta explain that to nobody. It’s like one of the things you don’t have to break down. The Black Joy Project is reflecting that it’s always been with us.”
They were born and raised between The Bronx and Washington Heights in New York City with their twin brother and close knit Dominican family.
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