Kleaver Cruz
“What comes to mind when I think of Black Joy is ultimately freedom. It can look like us just being left alone to decide whatever our existence is and choosing whatever is our most authentic self - the practice of that vision is freedom.’
“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.”
“Adams’s ornate linked collection comprises snapshots of a woman’s life at various points of change . . . a dynamic and memorable character study.”
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 (Mariner, 2023), a print, digital and real-world affirmation that Black joy is resistance. Kleaver was a 2024 nominee for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Debut Author. They have presented and conducted work across the African Diaspora in places like Brazil, South Africa and The Netherlands, among other countries. Kleaver is also a member of We Are All Dominican, a U.S.-based grassroots collective that works in solidarity with movements led by Dominicans of Haitian descent fighting for inclusion and citizenship rights in the Dominican Republic.
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. They currently live in Pittsburgh.
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