Kleaver Cruz (ABC and ARHS Class of 2007) is on a mission to fill social media with as many uplifting images of black people as possible. Kleaver, a 27-year-old New York-based writer and organizer, started The Black Joy Project after he realized that personal matters and the taxing fight to affirm black lives and protest systemic racism had started to take a toll on him. Here’s what Kleaver wrote on his website:
After waking up feeling real heavy one day, I decided that my social media timelines needed some smiles amidst the sharing of important information, thoughts, art, photos and videos that can be upsetting and at its worst depressing and traumatizing. I posted a picture of my mom smiling and asked for others to post their #BlackJoy moments.
Responses to Kleaver’s Black Joy Project have been tremendous. You can check out a video published by The Huffington Post.
We are SO proud of Kleaver. By encouraging so many others to post photos of joyful moments and/or people, Kleaver is making such a real and vibrant contribution to our society and to a positive future. Each image is accompanied by words of inspiration. Be inspired! Check out Kleaver Cruz’s The Black Joy Project!
