Black Joy

Newsletter February 24th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

The photo above is of me in 2001 at our Wellesley College Africana Studies majors dinner out in Boston. As part of the fulfillment of my degree, I took classes on Environmental Justice, Black Psychology, Media Studies with a focus on Race, African Religions, The Sociology of Domestic Work, The History of Jazz, and more. Each one of these classes gave me greater insight into the Black experience, an affirmation of Black greatness, and appreciation for the diversity within (including members of the Black Jewish community!). Whenever I celebrate Black History Month, this is what I am celebrating. All of this.

I recently attended a Black History Month event at the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles called "Moor than a Month." The performance took the audience through a Black Time Machine through Ancient Nubian and Egyptian history, architecture, philosophy, medicine, and education, on through notable times, inventions, innovations, and prideful aspects of the Black community. There was a celebration of the Harlem Renaissance, the Negro League baseball, HBCUs, community leaders, and more.

The refrain of the program was, "Every day, every shade, Black is great!" It was a great way to uplift Black excellence in many facets. It was a little bit sad that the MC for the evening had to point out that he wasn't saying "Black is better!" Or "Black is supreme!" Just that Black is ALSO great. Along with everyone. It is my sincere hope that everyone would be able to champion one another in all the ways we celebrated Black life through the program. When one of us thrives, we all thrive.

In Wellesley College professor Kellie Carter Jackson's beautiful work, We Refuse, that we have been reading in our Keeping It Sacred Rosh Chodesh Racial Justice Book Review, there is a whole chapter on the power of uplifting Black joy. In a world where white supremacy works to tear down, building up is an act of resistance. (We explore the final chapter THIS THURSDAY-- join us HERE).

The White House has called for an end to monthly celebrations of the diversity of Americans-- with the Department of Defense even issuing a memo titled "Identity Months Dead at DoD." And it is aiming to dismantle these kinds of celebrations. As Jews of all hues, and Jews religiously centered, it is incumbent upon us to affirm that a large part of Jewish spirituality requires the appreciation of diversity. The beautiful diversity of humanity is Divine. Some would even say that diversity must be intentional as the One Creator of All formed us in these varied ways.

All of this is to say that celebrating Black History Month in all of its diversity is Jewish! And ours is a community that celebrates the diversity of creation-- everyday. This is how we're keeping it sacred.

Together, we’re #keepingitsacred…

Rabbi Heather Miller,

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

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The above is an excerpt from a Keeping It Sacred newsletter. If you want to read the entire newsletter or any from our archives, please head over to: keepingitsacred.com/news 

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Thanks for your interest, and thanks for #keepingitsacred...