Black Freedom is Freedom for Everyone: You Better Get Some of this Black Joy! 

There are two realities I see digitized and echoed through social media, the internet, and eventually emerging in coffeeshops, barbershops, and prayer meetings. 

People are either overwhelmed with dread, or they are disengaged with current events. On YouTube, it’s easy to find a video that spells out certain doom, but few of these influencer prophets have much to say on how to fix the issue they are reporting about. In fact, it seems that 85% of the video is about explaining a problem we already knew existed. With concerned frowns, they “report” on these problems, and only spend about 15% of their time highlighting possible solutions. Most of their solutions are inefficient or ineffective anyway. 

But what is the second reality? Well, there are people who are working on the solutions, doing the hard work to address these issues, and what I hear from them is not a question about how to fix the issue, but the communal support and finances to address the problem. And this is by far a smaller group. 

Take education for instance. The people working in the schools know the problems. Kids have too much screen time. Parents don’t align with them when the schools issue disciplinary action. They don’t have enough staff to do what research suggests they should. Their pedagogical frameworks suffer more from bad legislation and a lack of resources than they do from ignorance of the solutions. 

On this Juneteenth, I offer a similar view of Black freedom. It is a national holiday, recognized or not. As the President of Nehemiah, I don’t sit around hoping to figure out how to address the issues we see in our community, state and nation. No, I wonder if I can get enough people to care long enough to support the work so we can make a difference. 

And let’s be real. Right now, as I write this, grants and funding for work and research that aims to solve some of our societal challenges had been washed away because of fear, hate, and a political divide that is fueled by those who profit from the protection of the status quo. 

The right to vote is under attack. 

Citizenship protection is challenged. 

Men are falling victim to the same commerce-fueled system that destroyed women’s sense of self-worth. 

Women are fighting to remain in control of their bodies. 

Black women are fighting to be heard as they have since….well who knows? 

Latinx communities are fighting family-splitting policies. 

Rural communities are suffering under tariff practices. 

Americans of all nationalities, religious backgrounds, and upbringing are part of a powerful nation, yet they feel weak. 

Ya’ll need some Black Joy! 

Let me explain. Some of you are trying to “white-knuckle” your way through this moment. Holding a collective breath that soon this will be over. Somebody will do something, right? 

Most non-profits ask for donations, and that transaction is a one-way street. You give, we say thank you, and the cycle repeats in six months to a year. 

But Nehemiah is different. Our mission is to empower the Black community, redesign unjust systems, and transform the face of leadership. We are unapologetically Black focused. 

However, there is a blessing in the collateral impact of our work that the whole community can benefit from. 

After the 2025 election, I assumed people who’d taken our Black History for a New Day course would come running back to us when they saw history repeating itself. I know we used the term “unprecedented” to describe these times, but in fact, they are not that new. Nor surprising in their timing and tenacity.  

The current situation we face as a nation right now exists because we were successful in pushing for meaningful change. If this is new to you, you don’t need an escape from reality or a ticket to move to another country, you need a more complete version of U.S. history. One that doesn’t shy away from the painful parts of our past. 

Enter Juneteenth. 

You see, today is about the news of freedom that finally reached enslaved people in Texas. They were free, but hadn’t had the chance to embrace it yet, because no one told them. 

Today, I offer you a parallel proposal. 

You need to transplant some Black Joy in your life! 

How?  

Well, after lots of meetings, I and my staff created an experience we’re calling Transformation Bootcamp, that takes the elements of Black joy and resilience and contextualizes those elements into something that anyone can benefit from. 

Imagine replacing escapism with processed emotions that allow you to have peace during the difficult times. 

Imagine knowing you made a difference in a way that mattered. 

Imagine being free from engaging in arguments with people online because you know that there are people, just like, you, quietly, powerfully, pushing back against the evils of our world. 

You don’t have to imagine. As President of Nehemiah, I have to ask people for money all the time. But I don’t want your money. I mean, I’ll take it. 

But here’s what I really want.

I want your angst. I want your anxiety. I want your hopelessness. I want your disillusionment. I want your dread. 

And I’ll give you back community, peace, and an artistic expression that will be a seed of possibility in your spere of influence. 

Sounds too good to be true? 

Well, I already did all of that with our pilot group in just six sessions! 

Join our Transformation Bootcamp this fall. (Inquire at info@nehemiah.org.)

You just need someone to tell you the good news. 

We’re free. And together we are unstoppable! 

This article was written and contributed by Harry Hawkins, Nehemiah President.