“Black Joy”

This mural was inspired by the impact Black youth are having on the world as a whole and more specifically Calgary. Alongside the multiple marches for justice within their city, Black youth showed up for themselves and for their classmates when they marched out of Bishop McNally School in protest against anti-Black racism that was prevalent in their school in the fall of 2020. Joined by students from other schools, they marched to the Calgary Police Headquarters and demanded change. 

To say these students are brave would be a gross understatement. To recognize and protect your human dignity at such a young age is something we can also strive to emulate, no matter our age. However, to have to march for your rights at such a young age, only highlights the various ways society has failed Black youth. The last thing they should have to concern themselves with is feeling unsafe or discarded, in the spaces where they’re meant to be learning. The negligence of our Black youth in society by our leaders and politicians is what led to the racializing and unsafe spaces these students are protesting against.

Knowing that other spaces Black youth are forced to exist in can be unsafe, I wanted to create a space that would celebrate them. The mural really emphasizes and encourages Black youth to find rest in Black joy and that any version of themselves is not only accepted here but is also valued. I chose to use myself as the main figure, because resting from the racializing experiences I’ve been exposed to is something I’ve struggled with throughout my own adolescence. This mural is an invitation to rest in our Blackness. To know that our Blackness is enough in each and every form it comes in. That laughing and playing is also a form of resistance and should be seen as such. The mural is a reminder to me, and to every Black youth, that we are always more than enough.