Joy in Movement Building
On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing the importance of joy— specifically, joy in activism, joy in advocacy, and joy in movement building.
"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy. Tune in to hear stories and updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education.
✍🏾Script by @ariellevking + @vampiiirra
📚 Research by @ariellvking + @sydneycheung + @vampiiirra
🗣️ Narration by @ariellevking
🦋Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
🌿Graphic Design by @eileenjawn
🍄Produced by @philthefixer
Episode Transcript
Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. The goal of this podcast is to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect people and the planet. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me.
My name is Arielle King, and I’m an environmental justice advocate, attorney, and educator.
On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing the importance of joy— specifically, joy in activism, joy in advocacy, and joy in movement building.
Main Topic
First, why Joy?
Why even think about joy when there's so much work to do? What role does joy have in fighting oppressive systems that continue to harm people and destroy the planet? In fighting & pushing against the systems of capitalism, colonialism, racism, misogyny, greed? Or in changing the status quo?
How can joy be found when, for the first time in human history, we’re facing 1 million animal & plant species being threatened with extinction?
What joy is there for the people that will be displaced in the global south? For people who are still struggling to recover from imperialist, colonial regimes and survive climate crisis impacts like drought, flooding, and food scarcity. For the ones who contribute the least to the climate crisis but suffer its worst impacts.
Why should we be thinking about joy?
As people trying to protect people and the planet we are engaged in the exhausting and seemingly unending work of creating systemic change. Yet our urgency and acute engagement can often lead to feeling burnt out, angry, and at times, resentful. The gravity of the times we live in often leads us to equate suffering with advocacy.
Choosing joy. And yes, it IS a choice. Allows us to erase that equation.
Ingrid Fetell Lee founder of the blog, The Aesthetics of Joy and author of the book Joyful, defines Joy [as] a manifestation of abundance”.
The threats facing people and the planet are vast and complex and often seem far beyond our capabilities to spark real change as individuals. Yet, collective action is made up of individual choices and communal alignment.
Joy allows us to reject the scarcity and fear that oppression creates in our homes, our minds, and our spirits.
We recognize the beauty in the interconnectedness of people, the planet, and all ecosystems, we have an obligation to ourselves and to the world to protect our joy as we work to protect our collective home.
This work is reminiscent of the Zapatista slogan, “Un Mundo Donde Quepan Muchos Mundos’, which translates in English to “A World Where Many Worlds Fit’.
To achieve “A World Where Many Worlds Fit” we must emphasize the importance of: common struggle, collective belonging, and inherent dignity, in the same way as laughter, dancing, and nourishment.
The Wellcome Collection sums up this whole vibe in their poem “Joy is a Protest”,
[https://youtu.be/X_fIZyD7XJA “joy is a protest” poem; 0:29-1:20]
Featured Story
Although its typically overlooked, joy can be a beautiful tool in organizing against oppressive systems.
In the early 2010’s a Hong Kong pro-democracy political party named “People Power” changed the face of activism in their city. Research was done by Yale PhD students on the impact of Joyous Resistance by People Power in Hong Kong elections. The study states that “By maintaining a radical image in public while creating a festive mood among protestors, People Power is able to attract a large number of discontented but risk-averse supporters. This emotional strategy of joyous resistance is made possible by skillfully including fun activities in[to] protest.” (Emotion Politics: Joyous Resistance in Hong Kong Vitrierat Ng and Kin-man Chan)
Joy as an act of resistance sustains movements. It's essential in creating collective action.
Audre Lorde once wrote “The sharing of joy, whether physical / emotional / psychic / or intellectual / forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much of what is not shared between them, and lessens the threat of their difference”. Here Lorde reminds us that choosing joy reflects that progress is not a losing game– that an abundance of hope exists. She also illuminates the power joy has in creating connections between people from all walks of life, even if they hold different views and goals.
We can notice joy in action during liberation movements and protests supporting racial, social, and environmental justice across America. There's often music, dancing, community healing, and artistic expression during protest movements that mainstream media paint as frivolous, disruptive, and distracting. Yet, these activities have a distinct lineage to movement building and activism work from Black communities. It’s what Tanya Wallace-Gobern in a 2021 Prism Report article describes as the “power of defiant joyfulness [that] accompanies Black organizing and civil activism.”
That brings us to the term “pleasure activism”, which was first coined by AIDS activist and Housing Works co-Founder Keith Cylar whose work supported unhoused New Yorkers living with AIDS.
Black feminist Adrienne Marie Brown reintroduced the term pleasure activism to the world with their NY Times Bestseller book, “Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good”
Pleasure activism has two main elements: The first: shaping “traditional” activism/organizing work to be as pleasurable as it can be, while supporting and making space for historically marginalized and disenfranchised folks to reclaim pleasure in their daily lives. This is a radical act in and of itself because of the way the capitalist, white supremacist hetero-patriarchy keeps our relationship to pleasure strained and disconnected.
The second function of pleasure activism is making justice and liberation the most pleasurable experiences we can have. Learning that pleasure gets lost under the weight of oppression, and reclaiming that pleasure is liberatory work.
Brown believes that it is imperative for us to see ourselves as part of interconnected systems that depend on each other to not only survive, but thrive. The protection and preservation of the planet is deeply connected to the liberation and joy of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities globally. A commitment to intentional collective action ensures that those disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental hazards are prioritized in solutions-oriented action.
Topic Related Calls To Action
So how can this be achieved?
The Joyful Revolution, a global people-driven movement honoring the sanctity and interconnectivity of every ecosystem on this planet, has outlined three steps for honoring joy in activism:
Step 1: Identify PAIN POINTS in your community, in whatever way you’d like to define it (like transportation, food access, the need to phase out fossil fuels)
Step 2: Identify a solution YOU CAN DO, and
Step 3: JOYFULLY take part in that solution
Combating systemic harm doesn’t always mean we need to become traditional activists. However, Adrienne Marie Brown reminds us of the perils of complacency. She emphasizes that “The work of changing the world has a million frontlines. You have to be aware that if you are not working on solutions for solving society’s ills then you’re probably participating in creating those ills. You just have to be awake to the fact that you are in a community, and there are people who rely on and are impacted by the decisions that you make.”
This awareness, like great power, comes with great responsibility. It's our responsibility to educate ourselves and those around us on the intersections of systemic injustices and current issues in our communities. In doing so, its vital that we refrain from speaking for the communities experiencing climate injustices, and instead, uplift and honor their voices and work. Learning about and calling out capitalism, colonialism, racism, misogyny, and greed by name is the first step in fighting against these oppressive systems.
It's also our responsibility to bring joy, contentment and satisfaction to ourselves and those around us, in our daily lives and while doing this work.
So take this message as a sign to do something that brings you joy today: spend some time outside, read a few pages of that book you’ve been meaning to start, call a friend or family member, listen to that song that you can never sit still to and dance like nobody is watching, cook a nourishing meal, change into an outfit that makes you smile, buy yourself a new plant, invest in your art practice... whatever brings you joy, even just or a moment.
Conclusion
Before we wrap up this episode, I want to share some positive climate news with you
Development has begun on a net-zero affordable housing complex on the Rockaway peninsula in Queens, New York. It’s the first development of its kind in NYC.
Honduras is no longer granting environmental permits for open-pit mining projects due to the deforestation and pollution they cause.
Medical schools across the United States are incorporating climate change into their curriculum. Medical professionals must understand the ways that climate change continues to exacerbate many health issues in order to adequately treat them, and expanding their curriculum to incorporate these realities is the first step.
A Hawaii Circuit Court Judge ruled in favor of the city of Honolulu, despite attempts from oil companies to get the case dismissed. The city has been trying to hold oil companies accountable for climate change impacts that continue to threaten Oahu, so this is huge a win!
A Colorado bill was recently proposed to compensate homeowners and businesses replacing their grass lawns with native plant species that are adapted to the state’s arid climate
IE + Community Updates
Our founder Leah Thomas has released her first book, The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet. Head to your local bookstore to pick up your copy.
IE is hosting our first Earth Sessions event in Brooklyn On April 21st. Earth Sessions will be an ongoing series of community-driven climate justice educational concerts. At each show, we’re inviting local environmental non-profits ,as well as artists and activists, to create an intimate experience for you to find joy, learn, + take action. Be on the lookout for updates on our Instagram at intersectional environmentalist
IE’s very first publication, The IE Agenda, is hot off the press! The IE Agenda started as a zine last Spring and has since grown into a 200-page, community-created publication. If you missed our pre-sale, no worries! You can get yourself a copy on our website.
Closing Statement + Reiteration Of Calls To Action
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of The Joy Report - remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for the, now more than ever. Remember, this isn’t an independent fight, and focusing solely on doom and gloom will freeze us into inaction. Join initiatives and communities advocating for the same things you do, virtually or in person, and use your talents and interests to contribute to this joyful movement.
Tune in next episode for a download on the evolution of cannabis reform and the ways states are using cannabis justice as a form of restorative justice. I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to... the Joy Report
