The Art of Ridicule: Black Queer Joy in the Face of the Fatigues

Abstract

Queer Black joy is the grand ridiculer creating possibilities for organisms to collaborate, fracture, rock with, and throw shade. In this paper, the collective analytical frameworks of racial and Queer battle fatigue are brought together to consider the implications for Queer Black communities in light of the simultaneous disparagements created through normalized violent collectives of heteronormative, cisgender White supremacist ideologies. As exemplars of Queer Black joy, an analysis of the embodiments and music from disco innovator Sylvester and New Orleans bounce artist and “Queen Diva” Big Freedia are examined to consider the ways in which they enacted Queer Black joy in the public sphere, simultaneously in connection with the witnessing ways in which their Black Queer joy was and is attacked. In conclusion, Black Queer joy is situated as an enlivenment to embolden qualitative research lenses in the equity imagining/building project for the overall eradication racial and Queer battle fatigue.

Keywords:

• Black diaspora
• education
• queerness
• Big Freedia
• Sylvester

Authors Notes

Big shoutout to my sister, friend, chosen family, and confidant Tracy P. Beard for blessing me with the inquiry, “when are you going to write about Black joy?” It was this inquiry which was vital in framing the discourse as I did. The inquiry was the self-reflexive point to remind me that I am worthy to write, discuss, and get lost in Queer Black joy, even when the nation-state tells my community and I opposite.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In this discussion I use they/them/their for both Sylvester and Big Freedia in response to both the complex, gender fluid, and non-binaried ways they frame gender for themselves.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Reagan Patrick Mitchell

Reagan P. Mitchell's scholarship brings together curriculum theory, ethnic studies, Black diaspora studies, critical race theory, critical geography, and sound studies. Through these engagements, Reagan has laid the foundation for a program of research on cultural and historical influences of race, space, gentrification, auditory architecture, and communal wisdom on education.