Black Joy as Emotional Resistance

Abstract

This research situates the experiences of two married Black Queer women from working-class backgrounds, who are young academic professionals working in contingent positions in the Midwest during Trump's first year in office. Using a critical collaborative autoethnography, the authors situate their social media posts, reflections, and stories in the broader literature that denotes the challenges of spousal accommodations and diversity positions in corporatized universities for faculty and staff of color. The findings extend the literature by outlining the various ways in which we experience oppression as married Black Queer women in the university, surrounding community, and are burdened with diversity work without systemic intervention and institutional buy-in, in the Midwest. They share their stories to combat the silencing of their struggles and provide a path toward survival under these circumstances. They outline how the use of social media, writing, and creating intentional spaces of Black Joy have aided them as they move through their careers.