Joy ˈjȯi
noun : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : a source or cause of delight
“We need Joy as we need air. We need Love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” - Maya Angelou
There hasn’t been a lot of joy in the nonprofit sector of late. The news has not been good. Already facing declines in giving, recent events have laid bare the tenuous nature of funding sources once believed relatively stable.
Funding ebbs and flows are expected; complete dismantling of long-standing systems of support were not. Some nonprofits are scrambling to maintain needed, in some cases life-saving, programs and services while others fear their support will shift. Nonprofit professionals, most of whom have willingly accepted less pay and fewer benefits than their counterparts in the for-profit sector, are faced not only with even fewer resources but with very real fear of losing their jobs and livelihoods.
As one of those professionals, joy has felt elusive and calls for it hollow. Where is the joy in suffering? How can I experience joy when the lives of others—and, perhaps soon, my own—are crumbling? How can there be joy when well-being is threatened, success feels elusive, good fortune dries up, and the prospect of possessing what one desires feels unattainable?
Stepping into the lush, beautiful, flower-filled End With Red Gala surrounded by loving, generous people in vibrant jewel tones Saturday evening, the last thing I expected to experience was joy. Solidarity, absolutely. Hope, yes. Community, for sure. But joy? Joy was a soulful, energetic surprise.
We came together to support Black women and girls living with HIV. The Afiya Center is a Dallas-based nonprofit established and led by Black women in response to disparities between HIV incidences worldwide and in Texas. These women, most of whom know heartbreak and hardship better than many, not only demonstrated and shared their joy, they taught me something I had missed:
Joy is not something that can wait until better times. Nor is it merely a distraction from struggle. Joy is power. A force. An antidote to struggle and strife, joy must be created—together.
I have no idea how much was donated at the gala or whether they met their $100,000 fundraising goal. The ever dutiful fundraiser, I found myself making mental notes early in the evening: how they might have raised more, strengthened their “ask,” or incorporated more opportunities to donate. My pragmatic thinking missed the point: love for humanity—the root and foundation of philanthropy—doesn’t exist without joy.
After all, resilience minus joy is only survival. We all deserve more.
The Afiya Center is transforming the lives, health, and overall well-being of Black women and girls by providing refuge, education, and resources. They act to ignite the communal voices of Black women resulting in their full achievement of reproductive freedom.
Donations big and small are radical acts of care for our community. Your gift supports The Afiya Center’s mission to transform the lives, health, and overall wellbeing of Black womxn and girls. As the only Black womxn founded and directed Reproductive Justice organization in North Texas, we will never stop showing up for our community. Your generous support helps us sustain and expand to meet the needs of Black womxn and girls. Please make a gift to support The Afiya Center today.