black joy archive began in May of 2020 in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor & Ahmaud Arbery. Amidst a worldwide pandemic, Black individuals were forced to cope, reckon and process trauma inflicted time and time again by the racial epidemic this country has battled and protected for centuries.

The archive was created to be a safe space for black folks—with the intention that this space can serve individuals as an ongoing practice in self-preservation and self-esteem. Since this project’s initial release there has been a cultural shift—with questionable moves of allyship being presented by corporate entities, capitalistic industries utilizing taglines such as “Black Joy” for commercial profit and the overall anti-racial fervor that ignited non-BIPOC individuals that summer of 2020 now debatably apathetic.

volume ii of this project, which features 27 contributors, asks you to consider: how can we continue to persevere? To push against the noise, the trends and expectations in order to uplift our own narratives? More importantly—what does your Black joy look like to you now?

Edited and designed by Zoë Pulley

Published by black joy archive, 2022
Printed in a limited edition of 100 copies

Softcover, 146 pages, b&w with green spot color, 8.5 x 10 inches