Black Joy in Green Spaces: Exploring Nature’s Positive Influence on the Health of Black Women

What is Black Joy? It is an everyday aspect of the Black experience. Furthermore, it is a response to the flawed Strong Black Woman phenomena that promotes hyper-productivity over holistic pause. Black women often prioritize productivity over our personal peace of mind. And, sadly, the efforts we pour into achieving personal and professional success do not directly equate to greater protective factors when it comes to our health outcomes. The Black Joy in Green Spaces workshop was created to educate the community about nature’s influence on the health and healing of Black women.

During this interactive workshop, you will learn more about the Black Joy in Green Spaces study and how it served as a proud, arts-based response to Dr. Angela Dunbar’s (2022) suggestion to “conduct research that moves beyond Black pain. Not just simply a matter of studying positive adjustment as an outcome or moderator of adversity but rather to have complete studies on non-oppressive everyday aspects.” Additionally, you will hear the intergenerational stories of four Black women who engaged in a praxis of pause to center their own Black Joy in green spaces. Together, let’s make Black Joy in Green Spaces a national conversation.