[Applause]
all right Jasmine they invited us to do
a TED talk everybody loves a TED talk
everybody head is a stage where people
have taught us how to explain our
procrastination vulnerability so funny
on program today talking about racism
and virtual reality even their virtual
reality seasons girl the point is a lot
of important things have been shared on
this stage so you know everybody
backstage is nervous because they don’t
know what’s about to come out of our
mouth because we are just trying to give
y’all ideas we’re sharing we are also
trying to be on Beyonce’s next album
like fellow black girl TED talk alum
Chimamanda
so excuse us as we prepare our hearts
and minds for that kind of black
excellence in culture shift I received
this so to censor ourselves every and I
like to indulge and woke yet relaxing
guided meditation yes and we would like
to invite you to join us in an exercise
from your seat
inspired by freedom fighter Samantha
master all right
as we Center our joy all right let me
get on my jana super soul sunday voice
now as you are able beloved so I want
you to close your eyes and from your
seat make sure your feet are planted on
the ground and sit with your back
straight yes and with the tension to
your breathing I want you to breathe in
and out under the direction of our
voices you’re ready very ready all right
let’s go breathe in eight years of a
black family in the white house breathe
out the administration ten explicitly
told us not to talk about today
breathe damn black joy breathe out the
meats of silence or tone police and as
we talk about it with you all today
bring all of that out give it a little
battle the lungs just get it out to
system
so now that we are sensitive our joy I
want you to think about the thing that
brings you the most joy
my name is Amber Jay Phillips the High
Priestess of black joy and I am Jasmine
Walker the King of the South and you are
about to listen to the blueprint for the
black joy era now you might be asking
yourselves why is there a black joy and
not just joy and the answer is quite
simple white people have no self-control
now there might be alarming for a few of
you I don’t know why but if you consider
the annihilation of indigenous people
the fact that white folks told millions
of black people against our will and
forced us on the boats to come over here
and build this country – and they had
the nerve to make it sound like a hiking
trail or like teen angst or something by
calling ms middle passage child the KKK
mass incarceration who and that is just
the recent past when you think about
what folks have done to Brooklyn Oakland
etc which all trying to do to the sacred
land of Standing Rock crazy so I know
this talk may already have you feeling
uncomfortable but that’s okay because
some of the most powerful ideas we’re
sharing are also the ones that confront
us plus honestly black people this one
is for us
telling hard truths through comedy with
dignity and with flair it’s the work
that we do is black women in America on
our weekly podcast as political
commentators on the black join makes a
and what is black joy is birthed from
our age as well as our joy now a black
joy means a lot of things to a lot of
people we represent just a couple of
those folks like for me I love to bring
people together for a celebration
aka aterna my love for seeing black
people together eating laughing hugging
addressed to our best comes from growing
up in my black Baptist Church in my
hometown of Columbus Ohio most Sundays
you can find me behind my grandmother
aka the love of my life Mary Alice
Phillips because every Sunday was a
celebration often followed up by dinner
featuring some of my favorite foods and
stories delivered by some of the
greatest storytellers I have ever met
like my mother miss Carol now as an Ohio
and building my home in Washington DC I
learned to find the type of community
that I grew up with so I searched for my
tribe and I found them and they happen
to be some of the most dynamic
revolutionary political or and cultural
organizers this generation has ever seen
they are black fish trans queer funny
both stylish and loud people who also
enjoy Turner so when my grandmother
passed away in 2015 I wanted to make her
celebrations that meant so much to me a
regular part of my life so my home
became affectionately known as black joy
headquarters or the place where black
people were welcome to hold space as we
collectively mourned and gave each other
permission to be our best in black
itself to create to dance over
home-cooked meals brown liquor and trap
music
– hold on for just another day to keep
demanding justice and that these iconic
black joy turn up and I do mean iconic
because folks like myself
we’re traveling across multiple state
lines to get to these bargains we honor
our humanity for ourselves in a world
that refused to do so and in reflecting
on these celebrations I append what
black joy means to us black joy is the
right to celebrate the right to relax
and the right to love free from
oppression and violence now consider
what brings you the most joy for me it’s
when I hear Cash Money Records taking
over for them 992 2000 which is the
opening lines to the southern hip-hop
classic back as a black girl from
Jackson Mississippi I have heard that
beat drop for almost 20 years and I
promise you I busted open like it’s the
very first time every time I hear it
okay I have worked everywhere to back
that ass up from my middle school gym to
my college graduation after-party with
my best friend’s Jonathan Holly and Jay
– right before I got on this stage with
Amber
you know it’s true back that a sub has
not only been the soundtrack for my
coming of age it has helped me express
the joy and love I feel for myself and
my body as a big fine woman whose works
it’s working created and popularized by
black films over centuries allows us to
farm ourselves as we are char backs move
our knees ankles and feet simultaneously
as we thrust to the beat however we
don’t always get to twerk in peace
it’s workers or people who decide to
indulge in this amazing dance are not
granted the full humanity of those who
decide not to you know how it is when
women and fans are doing things not
under the male gaze they try to use it
to justify sexual harassment rape and
the overall disrespect then we have to
endure in our schools jobs and on our
streets it’s working is a celebration it
is not an invitation for harm touch
without permission or assumptions about
my career aspects or sexuality hello so
when we asked you to think about the
thing that brings you the most joy what
did you see black joy is the right to
turn on that was the case for Jordan
Davis who was murdered because his music
was too loud by Michael David Dunn Mike
joy is the right to relax that was the
case for Sandra bland who died in police
custody because she refused to put out
her cigarette black joy is the right to
love that was the case for ty Underwood
a black trans woman who was killed by
her ex-boyfriend
Carlton ray champion who murdered her
after she decided their relationship was
over black joy is our right and we
deserve to feel it free from oppression
and violence especially in our
communities that is why we must also
remember that white people’s treatment
of us should never be the standard for
how we treat each other
anybody can get dragged in these streets
especially serial rapists around tire
syndicated sitcoms anyone can get this
work if they are detriments a black joy
that is why black joy is all right and
black women black women that is why we
must not believe in the difference
between blacks dis women and black trans
women as if all women have the same
experience anyway the term cisgender
simply means that I would agree with the
gender that was assigned to me at Birth
the doctor said it’s a girl my mom said
yeah girl and I agreed with you I was
like foreign words and grew into it so
that is why when the first time I was
called sis I felt it tight but that
couldn’t be further from the case being
lining sis with my gender is an
opportunity to interrogate my own gender
performance so that we can be in
solidarity with one another because
there is no difference and systems are
oppressing all of us right now the
leading cause of death for assists in
trans black women is intimate partner
homicide since black women must be
committed to fight with trans black
women and abandon this notion of
scarcity or at or a friend like black
womanhood is finite or there is only
designated for a chosen few we must be
committed to dismantle white supremacist
capitalist patriarchy and I know that
big-time patriarchy just means that how
all of us can uphold systems of
oppression regardless of our gender race
or sexuality if we’re not careful James
Baldwin once wrote
thank you James Baldwin once wrote I was
not born to be a slave nor was I born to
hope to become equal to the slave master
we don’t want just joy we need black joy
and though everyone is not granted full
access to black joy just like not
everyone is invited to your Mama’s
kitchen finally don’t come out up in
there without washing your hands black
joy has a seat at the table for everyone
right and that is why now is the time to
center black joy because like our friend
and fellow magic practitioner malaya
davis says this is about regenerations
join us as we soon turn black joy
because the side of Shakur already told
us we have nothing to lose but I changed
I am amber Jay Phillips the high pieces
of black Joseph and I am jazz gonna walk
at the King of the South and you just
listened to a blueprint for the black to
our era
[Music]
[Applause]
all right Jasmine they invited us to do
a TED talk everybody loves a TED talk
everybody head is a stage where people
have taught us how to explain our
procrastination vulnerability so funny
on program today talking about racism
and virtual reality even their virtual
reality seasons girl the point is a lot
of important things have been shared on
this stage so you know everybody
backstage is nervous because they don’t
know what’s about to come out of our
mouth because we are just trying to give
y’all ideas we’re sharing we are also
trying to be on Beyonce’s next album
like fellow black girl TED talk alum
Chimamanda
so excuse us as we prepare our hearts
and minds for that kind of black
excellence in culture shift I received
this so to censor ourselves every and I
like to indulge and woke yet relaxing
guided meditation yes and we would like
to invite you to join us in an exercise
from your seat
inspired by freedom fighter Samantha
master all right
as we Center our joy all right let me
get on my jana super soul sunday voice
now as you are able beloved so I want
you to close your eyes and from your
seat make sure your feet are planted on
the ground and sit with your back
straight yes and with the tension to
your breathing I want you to breathe in
and out under the direction of our
voices you’re ready very ready all right
let’s go breathe in eight years of a
black family in the white house breathe
out the administration ten explicitly
told us not to talk about today
breathe damn black joy breathe out the
meats of silence or tone police and as
we talk about it with you all today
bring all of that out give it a little
battle the lungs just get it out to
system
so now that we are sensitive our joy I
want you to think about the thing that
brings you the most joy
my name is Amber Jay Phillips the High
Priestess of black joy and I am Jasmine
Walker the King of the South and you are
about to listen to the blueprint for the
black joy era now you might be asking
yourselves why is there a black joy and
not just joy and the answer is quite
simple white people have no self-control
now there might be alarming for a few of
you I don’t know why but if you consider
the annihilation of indigenous people
the fact that white folks told millions
of black people against our will and
forced us on the boats to come over here
and build this country – and they had
the nerve to make it sound like a hiking
trail or like teen angst or something by
calling ms middle passage child the KKK
mass incarceration who and that is just
the recent past when you think about
what folks have done to Brooklyn Oakland
etc which all trying to do to the sacred
land of Standing Rock crazy so I know
this talk may already have you feeling
uncomfortable but that’s okay because
some of the most powerful ideas we’re
sharing are also the ones that confront
us plus honestly black people this one
is for us
telling hard truths through comedy with
dignity and with flair it’s the work
that we do is black women in America on
our weekly podcast as political
commentators on the black join makes a
and what is black joy is birthed from
our age as well as our joy now a black
joy means a lot of things to a lot of
people we represent just a couple of
those folks like for me I love to bring
people together for a celebration
aka aterna my love for seeing black
people together eating laughing hugging
addressed to our best comes from growing
up in my black Baptist Church in my
hometown of Columbus Ohio most Sundays
you can find me behind my grandmother
aka the love of my life Mary Alice
Phillips because every Sunday was a
celebration often followed up by dinner
featuring some of my favorite foods and
stories delivered by some of the
greatest storytellers I have ever met
like my mother miss Carol now as an Ohio
and building my home in Washington DC I
learned to find the type of community
that I grew up with so I searched for my
tribe and I found them and they happen
to be some of the most dynamic
revolutionary political or and cultural
organizers this generation has ever seen
they are black fish trans queer funny
both stylish and loud people who also
enjoy Turner so when my grandmother
passed away in 2015 I wanted to make her
celebrations that meant so much to me a
regular part of my life so my home
became affectionately known as black joy
headquarters or the place where black
people were welcome to hold space as we
collectively mourned and gave each other
permission to be our best in black
itself to create to dance over
home-cooked meals brown liquor and trap
music
– hold on for just another day to keep
demanding justice and that these iconic
black joy turn up and I do mean iconic
because folks like myself
we’re traveling across multiple state
lines to get to these bargains we honor
our humanity for ourselves in a world
that refused to do so and in reflecting
on these celebrations I append what
black joy means to us black joy is the
right to celebrate the right to relax
and the right to love free from
oppression and violence now consider
what brings you the most joy for me it’s
when I hear Cash Money Records taking
over for them 992 2000 which is the
opening lines to the southern hip-hop
classic back as a black girl from
Jackson Mississippi I have heard that
beat drop for almost 20 years and I
promise you I busted open like it’s the
very first time every time I hear it
okay I have worked everywhere to back
that ass up from my middle school gym to
my college graduation after-party with
my best friend’s Jonathan Holly and Jay
– right before I got on this stage with
Amber
you know it’s true back that a sub has
not only been the soundtrack for my
coming of age it has helped me express
the joy and love I feel for myself and
my body as a big fine woman whose works
it’s working created and popularized by
black films over centuries allows us to
farm ourselves as we are char backs move
our knees ankles and feet simultaneously
as we thrust to the beat however we
don’t always get to twerk in peace
it’s workers or people who decide to
indulge in this amazing dance are not
granted the full humanity of those who
decide not to you know how it is when
women and fans are doing things not
under the male gaze they try to use it
to justify sexual harassment rape and
the overall disrespect then we have to
endure in our schools jobs and on our
streets it’s working is a celebration it
is not an invitation for harm touch
without permission or assumptions about
my career aspects or sexuality hello so
when we asked you to think about the
thing that brings you the most joy what
did you see black joy is the right to
turn on that was the case for Jordan
Davis who was murdered because his music
was too loud by Michael David Dunn Mike
joy is the right to relax that was the
case for Sandra bland who died in police
custody because she refused to put out
her cigarette black joy is the right to
love that was the case for ty Underwood
a black trans woman who was killed by
her ex-boyfriend
Carlton ray champion who murdered her
after she decided their relationship was
over black joy is our right and we
deserve to feel it free from oppression
and violence especially in our
communities that is why we must also
remember that white people’s treatment
of us should never be the standard for
how we treat each other
anybody can get dragged in these streets
especially serial rapists around tire
syndicated sitcoms anyone can get this
work if they are detriments a black joy
that is why black joy is all right and
black women black women that is why we
must not believe in the difference
between blacks dis women and black trans
women as if all women have the same
experience anyway the term cisgender
simply means that I would agree with the
gender that was assigned to me at Birth
the doctor said it’s a girl my mom said
yeah girl and I agreed with you I was
like foreign words and grew into it so
that is why when the first time I was
called sis I felt it tight but that
couldn’t be further from the case being
lining sis with my gender is an
opportunity to interrogate my own gender
performance so that we can be in
solidarity with one another because
there is no difference and systems are
oppressing all of us right now the
leading cause of death for assists in
trans black women is intimate partner
homicide since black women must be
committed to fight with trans black
women and abandon this notion of
scarcity or at or a friend like black
womanhood is finite or there is only
designated for a chosen few we must be
committed to dismantle white supremacist
capitalist patriarchy and I know that
big-time patriarchy just means that how
all of us can uphold systems of
oppression regardless of our gender race
or sexuality if we’re not careful James
Baldwin once wrote
thank you James Baldwin once wrote I was
not born to be a slave nor was I born to
hope to become equal to the slave master
we don’t want just joy we need black joy
and though everyone is not granted full
access to black joy just like not
everyone is invited to your Mama’s
kitchen finally don’t come out up in
there without washing your hands black
joy has a seat at the table for everyone
right and that is why now is the time to
center black joy because like our friend
and fellow magic practitioner malaya
davis says this is about regenerations
join us as we soon turn black joy
because the side of Shakur already told
us we have nothing to lose but I changed
I am amber Jay Phillips the high pieces
of black Joseph and I am jazz gonna walk
at the King of the South and you just
listened to a blueprint for the black to
our era
[Music]
[Applause]
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