Dear Mama, What if I told you I didn't think I had the words for the intro of this episode because we recorded it before the election, and after November 5th, joy was THE LAST THING I wanted to talk about? I wish I could say thinking of our ancestors pulled me through, but the truth is reaching forward in time helped me more than reaching back, and now more than ever, we are going to need joy not to feel happy but because, as Thea Monyee, one of the cohost of this podcast, who will be guiding us through the Joy Assessment, says "Joy makes things clear," and we, particularly Black mothers, need to get REAL CLEAR RIGHT NOW and being committed to joy, being centered on joy requires us to tell the truth to ourselves, about our relationships, about what is real and what is not, what is serving us and most importantly how we are not serving ourselves and that allows us to get really, really clear about what we are supposed to be doing, how to mind our business and what business we should be minding, and focused on in the time that we are about to enter. In this episode we delve into the social-political barriers of joy and how accountability intersects with the pursuit of personal joy. Thea Monyee introduces the groundbreaking "Joy Assessment," created with the Blacker The Brain cohort, as a tool for Black folx to reclaim joy as a means for liberation. In this episode, we talk: ✨The groundbreaking Joy Assessment ✨The difference between joy and happiness ✨Radical honesty and spiritual bypassing ✨Joy as tool of parenting from a place of liberation and not fear 💗Black Mama Magic Card: Card #10 - Lay Your Burdens on the Altar of Love💗 Episode Playlist: Blackest Holiday Playlist Eva curated by us on Spotify EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 59: Black Motherhood, Myths & Matrescence w/ Stepha LaFond ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ ABOUT THE BLACKER THE BRAIN: Thea Monyee aka the Secretary of Joy and the founder of The Blacker the Brain which is an ongoing campaign, conversation and cohort created to make mental health inclusive and expansive for Black bodies by teaching practitioners to unlearn harmful ideas, practices, and policies, and empowering potential clients with language, a full understanding of their rights, and a joy centered framework for their healing within in an oppressive society. Connect with The Blacker The Brain: Instagram | Website Take the Joy Assessment 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas Instagram Patreon YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com. For full show notes & transcript, check out our website: demblackmamas.com