2024 Oral History Association Annual Meeting

The Black Joy archive is a collection of oral history interviews focused on the transnational approach of what the future of Black activism can look like by creating mental, spiritual and physical liberation through the lens of joy. As part the emerging body of work on Black joy and its significance for the Black community, this collection emphasizes the impacts that joy can create in the daily lives of the Black diaspora by reconciling, restoring, and healing past and present racial traumas.

ABSTRACT: The Black Joy archive is a collection of oral history interviews focused on the transnational approach of what the future of Black activism can look like by creating mental, spiritual and physical liberation through the lens of joy. As part the emerging body of work on Black joy and its significance for the Black community, this collection emphasizes the impacts that joy can create in the daily lives of the Black diaspora by reconciling, restoring, and healing past and present racial traumas. The Black Joy archive is housed at the University of Florida’s Samuel Proctor Oral History Program.The Black Joy archive contains oral history interviews with community members, artists, academics, and civil rights leaders, as well as a documentary, podcast, and art projects that expand on the concept of joy. The interviews contribute to a better understanding of the Black experience in both modern and historical times and how the past (recent or otherwise) has informed the future. This roundtable will present the Black Joy archive’s documentary as well as a comparative study of how the concept of Black joy is utilized in Europe and the U.S. The roundtable will serve as an opportunity to discuss the research experiences of the project team in comparison to other oral history projects concentrating on trauma and racial injustice. The presenters will also discuss how this collection connects to other SPOHP oral history projects and answer questions from the audience.