Resist! Reimagine! Reclaim!: Centering Black Queer and Trans Activism, Pedagogies and Futures

• In Event: “We are not a monolith”: Expanding Blackness Through the Intersections

Abstract

This systematic literature paper centers Black Queer and Trans joy as a radical, liberatory act through the lens of Black Queer Feminism. Grounded in the works of Audre Lorde, Lorraine Hansberry, Marsha P. Johnson, and others, the author explores how refusing white heteronormativity, reclaiming voice, asserting autonomy, and dreaming through liberation can cultivate joy for Black Queer and Trans communities. Drawing on personal narrative and historical analysis, the paper elevates joy as both a form of resistance and a means of survival, emphasizing the transformative power of creative expression and community. This work is a call to address oppressive structures and imagine emancipatory futures rooted in Black queer feminist thought and practice that can transform how educational spaces can be shaped.

Author

• William Shelton, Graduate Center - CUNY