Black Joy as Anti-Racist Praxis: Navigating Structures of Health, Healing and Empowerment within Black British Communities

This project investigates the potential uses of Black joy – a term used to describe demonstrations of happiness, humour, and cultural pride within Black diasporic communities – in promoting health and wellbeing amongst Black Britons. It explores the health-promoting benefits of Black joy, as well as its limits and potential harms when used to promote individual action in response to anti-Black violence. Through qualitative research and thematic enquiry on the uses, limits, and potentials of Black joy, this project addresses four research questions: 1. To what extent does Black joy foster and promote health amongst Black Britons? 2. How is Black joy pursued to counterbalance the detrimental effects of anti-Black violence within Black British communities? 3. What are the limits and harms of conceptualising Black joy as a health-promoting resource? 4. How has Black joy historically been used to promote health across Black diasporic communities, and what insights does this provide about its contemporary uses and significance? By exploring the lived realities and perspectives of Black Britons, along with histories of joy-centred approaches to health and holistic forms of anti-racist health promotion, this project will transform understandings of culturally-grounded wellbeing practices and expand possibilities for future anti-racist, community-based health interventions.