9 Examples of Black Joy You NEED in Your Life This Black History Month

We’re continuing our celebration of Black History Month with a focus on young changemakers who are using their art to spark Black joy. For Black Americans, reveling in joy is an act of resistance. Oppressive structures and traumatic news seek to hinder our ability to revel in our joy–but this month, we’re shouting it from the rooftops, loud and wide for everyone to hear!

Black Joy has been a tool of resistance for centuries, with music and art dating back to when enslaved Africans used it to disrupt the status quo. In a society that devalues Black people and their contributions, expressing Black Joy allows individuals and groups to own their narratives and challenge society’s negative perceptions. As one scholar puts it, “It is a way of resting the body, mind, and spirit in response to the traumatic, devastating, and life-altering racialized experiences that Black people continue to encounter.” So let’s get to celebrating with these nine young people who are bringing us joy during Black History Month and beyond:

1. Ayra Starr, 20

If you’ve been on TikTok or Instagram reels in the last couple of months, chances are you’ve been jamming to Ayra Starr’s music. Her hit songs Bloody Samaritan and Rush quickly went viral, further propelling her to fame. However, Aryra Starr is more than just a talented musician. She’s one of the many African artists bringing the Afrobeat genre into the mainstream in the U.S. and beyond.

Though you can’t deny that her songs make you want to dance, did you notice her lyrics? “Me no getty time for the hate and the bad energy” and “Everythin' I desire, I go receive” are Black Joy anthems we want to keep jamming to.

Besides topping charts with her music, Ayra Starr also directed her own music video when she was just 19 years old and plans to keep exploring her craft, so we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Add to your queue: Ayra Starr’s album 19 & Dangerous

2. Zendaya, 26

Does Zendaya really need an introduction? As one of Gen-Z’s most influential icons, she’s making waves in shows like Euphoria, movies like Spiderman, and on the runway at Fashion Week. We love her quirky humor and down-to-earth attitude but are even more obsessed with her advocacy.

Zendaya is known to work almost exclusively with Black-owned fashion brands and uses her platform to talk about mental health, diversity, and activism. Better yet, her stardom has inspired many other Black actors and artists to pursue their creativity and joy, which we love to see.

Add to your queue: Euphoria, Dune, The Greatest Showman

3. Jalyn Hall, 16

Jalyn knew he wanted to be an actor since he was 5 years old. Talk about making dreams a reality! You might recognize him from the TV show All American, where he plays Dillon James and his most groundbreaking role as Emmett Till in the movie Till.

Emmett Till was a Black teenager who was violently killed in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman. The impact of his murder and the brutalization of his body was a catalyst for many Americans to get involved in the fight for civil rights. His story is integral to Black History, and Jalyn’s portrayal of Emmett highlighted the personhood of his character beautifully. Jalyn said in an interview, “As a young Black man, it was such an honor to have the opportunity to play the part of another young Black man whose story is so crucial to our country’s history, and the shaping of American culture.”

Add to your queue: All American, Till

4. Sampa the Great, 29

Originally from Zambia, Sampa the Great is a musician whose lyrics are the definition of empowered, illustrating Black joy brilliantly. In her TEDx Talk, she sang “It wasn’t fists in the air, it was looking in the mirror and loving my hair.” Sampa has been in the African music scene for years, but her verses are making their way around the globe, offering her fresh perspective for eager ears.

Often weaving in themes of resistance and revolution, Sampa the Great is a powerful force when she sings. Lyrics like “Feminine energy, energy reign/Intuition and ambition, intuition strange/ Intuition and ambition running through my veins/ Pour up the love let the healing begin” flow from her confidently, making her music an essential anthem on any Black Joy playlist.

Add to your queue: Sampa the Great’s newest album, As Above, So Below

5. Marsai Martin, 18

She became the youngest executive producer ever when she was 14. Is any more explanation needed? Marsai Martin plays Diane Johnson on the TV show Black-ish, where she’s committed to challenging Black stereotypes on screen. She said in a recent interview, “With Black trauma, that’s not the only thing that we are…I want to create content that shows us in romantic films, rom-coms, action films and just things that you see only in a certain realm. I think that is one reason why I will always root for Black joy and spreading positivity in our culture.”

When Marsai went on to produce and star in the film Little, her goal was to tell Black stories from a different perspective, and it paid off, earning her 10 NAACP Image Awards. We’re so obsessed with Marsai that we partnered with her to talk about Little. This is just the beginning for her, and we’ll be keeping an eye out to see more Marsai Martin magic.

Add to your queue: Black-ish and Little

6. Priah Ferguson, 16

This is the STEM x Black Joy crossover you’ve been waiting for. Priah Ferguson is most known for her role as Erica Sinclair on Stranger Things, where her character’s wit and creativity stands out from the pack. Portraying a young Black girl on the screen in a Sci-Fi show was groundbreaking for Priah’s career and it’s a huge deal considering the underrepresentation of women of color in the genre.

Priah knows how impactful her character is, stating “Traveling the world, meeting thousands of fans, hearing stories of how Erica impacted them on a personal level — it still feels very new and beautiful.” We love her confidence and can’t wait to see her tackle more roles like this in the future!

Add to your queue: Stranger Things, The Oath

7. James Kweisi, 24

Empowering Black youth through arts and education, James Kweisi uses his creative skills as a vessel for his activism. He’s a dancer, singer, actor and social media presence and founded the Black Future Project, a BIPOC and Gen-Z/Millennial activist group. The group organizes protests for anti-racist and LGBTQ+ causes, as well as teach-ins on topics like the school-to-prison pipeline, among other actions.

We love that James stretches his talents across many platforms, showing that Black Joy doesn’t have to be limited to just one medium. On Black History Month and why it’s important, James says, “Anything in America, it derives from Blackness.”

Add to your queue: His song Never Knew You and YouTube channel

8. Octavia “Ink” Mingerink

You didn’t think we’d leave out visual artists on this one, did you? Octavia is a printmaker, illustrator and graphic designer whose pieces ooze Black Joy. Her art has been featured on book covers like Tabitha Brown’s Seen, Loved & Heard, Ibram X Kendi and Nic Stone’s How to Be A (Young) Antiracist and The (Young) Antiracist’s Handbook.

The coolest thing about Octavia’s work? She’s outspoken about what Black Joy means to her, stating, “Black joy is freedom. Black joy is radical… For my personal journey as an artist I’ve been given opportunities I never imagined with the help for my community, family, and friends. Black joy leads to liberation and the freedom of self expression.” That’s what this whole list is about, isn’t it?

Add to your queue: Follow Octavia on Instagram to see what she’s up to.

9. Chloe x Halle Bailey

This musical sister duo might make you think we saved the best for last on this list. They started out on YouTube with cover videos, and have risen to global stardom, even going on tour with Beyonce in 2018 and earning two Grammys. Chloe x Halle were due to release their second album in June of 2020, but decided to delay it in light of the unjust police killing of George Floyd and turned their focus to speaking up about racism and police brutality. Talk about meeting the moment.

More recently, Halle Bailey was cast as the lead in The Little Mermaid, and the response to the trailer was peak Black Joy. Videos emerged all over the internet of young Black girls seeing Ariel as a Black woman for the first time, saying “She looks like me,” proving just how impactful representation is.

We know there are thousands more changemakers we could add to this list and it would just keep growing as more young Black leaders share their talents with the world. Hopefully you’ve got some sweet shows, movies, songs, and more to add to your queue to fuel your celebration of Black joy this month and beyond!