Portrait of San Carlos Community
What is Black Joy?
Black Joy is a form of resistance. Black Joy is liberation. Black Joy is reclaiming humanity, power, and healing. To take part in Black Joy is to commit to be involved in unifying, building, and strengthening black communities and to commit to be there for one another and to show up for each other.
Black
Joy
"Black Joy isn't about erasing the difficulties of the Black experience, but showing the whole truth by creating balance. Amplifying black joy is not about dismissing or creating an ‘alternative’ black narrative that ignores the realities of our collective pain; rather, it is about holding the pain and injustices we experience as black folks around the world in tension with the joy we experience in pain’s midst. It’s about using that joy as an entry into understanding the oppressive forces we navigate through as a means to imagine and create a world free of them.”
~ Kleaver Cruz, NY City based writer, educator, poet, activist and founder of ‘The Black Joy Project’
Please scroll down to see spotlights for these community members.
Michael Brown
Is a chef and owner of MB’s Place “The Best Place With The Best Taste” home of the Award Winning 3 Way Chili. He grew up in Pacifica, finding his passion to cook from his mother. For the last 11 years, he has been residing in San Carlos with his partner and three children.
MB’s Place has a mobile food truck and a ghost kitchen at the brand new San Mateo Food Mall. They are also a regular vendor at the Sunday San Carlos Farmer’s Market on Laurel Street.
Stay up to date with all the good happenings on MB’s place on Instagram!
What Does Black History Month mean to you?
“Black History Month means a lot to me. It highlights some of our previous and current important African American leaders and what they have done and continue to do for this country.”
What does Black Joy mean to you?
“Black joy to me is celebrating yourself and being proud to be Black. We are the creators of human kind and that alone should be celebrated everyday.”
Linda Burroughs
has lived in San Carlos for more than 25 years having moved here to join her husband, Hugh. After working in the nonprofit sector domestically and internationally for many years, once she moved to the Bay Area, Linda served as a Corporate Community Relations Specialist covering the western region of the U.S.
Linda’s global travel led her to embrace the joy of healthy cooking with an international flair. Timeless design that responds to the senses is the foundation upon which Linda launched Design Solutions in 2000. Linda has since returned to the philanthropic sector and today, when she’s not volunteering with seniors, children and the disabled, she is serving as a Nonprofit Consultant helping organizations strategically navigate their growth cycles.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
“Black History Month is an opportunity for all of us to expand our knowledge of our nation’s history and fill in some of the gaps that have been intentionally overlooked. Black History Month is a chance for us all to challenge our implicit biases and look openly and comprehensively at our history and our current realities. I believe we are at a pivotal moment where redefining our priorities for the future is both expected and required. We can all be agents of positive change, should we choose to do so.”
Watch Linda’s performance of “What do you see” from the 2021 United Against Hate Poetry Slam.
Taja Henderson
is a Bay Area native who grew up in East Palo Alto and has been an educator for the last 20 years. She is currently an educator at Sequoia High School.
What does Black Joy mean to you?
“Celebrating Black Joy is more than a movement, it is a way of life. Historically, dominant society focuses on the struggles and oppression of the Black community while it fails to celebrate our achievements and joys. Celebrating Black Joy provides an uplifting counter-narrative and is one of my core values in life. I grew up in East Palo Alto, California, a city that many were told to stay away from, but for me, it represents culture, community, and all things Black Pride. My community celebrated life and culture amid struggle; we found ways to lift each other up as we climbed. We didn’t wait till February to celebrate Black History; we found ways throughout the year to learn about the stories of forgotten and overlooked Black folx. We didn’t wait for the Federal Government to declare Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021 to begin observing it; we’ve always celebrated it. Black History is more than a month, it is our history.
As an educator in San Mateo County for over 20 years, it has always been essential for me to be that counter-narrative and an example of living a life immersed in Black Joy. Black Joy celebrates overlooked Black influences on history, life, family, and culture.
Black Joy centers stories around triumphs and successes.
Black Joy reclaims our story.
Black Joy is creativity.
Black Joy is the Arts.
Black Joy is Music.
Black Joy is Family.
Black Joy is Love.”
John Jenkins
is the son of the first Black doctor in the best pediatric residency program in the West. “I like this version of my origin story because it’s a succinct yet powerful way to capture much of who I am. There’s a lot to unpack in this statement, too much for this quick snapshot, but the short version is: I was raised in an interracial family during an era when interracial marriages were uncommon by parents who viewed racial barriers as challenges that must be overcome. I grew up in a region that embraced diversity and was fortunate to learn from an early age the importance of values like pride, excellence and inclusivity. Now, as a proud African American husband and father living here in San Carlos where we have a very small Black population, I continue to live by these same principles to show my kids and the community the importance of this work.”
What does Black History Month mean to you?
“For me, Black History Month is an opportunity to share the excellence and joy we have created as Blacks in America. So much of our history has not been part of the dominant story of America, yet the history of our country sits on the foundation that Blacks help build. Raising awareness of this rich history while celebrating the tremendous contributions we have made - particularly in the context of the challenges we have faced and overcome - brings me great joy.”
Akiyla Majors
is an 11th grader at Sequoia High School. She is a poet, an activist and loves giving back to her community.
What does Black History Month means to you?
“I’ve always wanted someone to hear my voice and I wanted others to know that they are not alone and to know that their story matters. Black History Month means a lot to me because it celebrates our people and all the things we’ve accomplished in U.S history.”
What does Black Joy Mean to you?
“Black Joy means never forgetting where we came from and never forgetting what we’ve achieved over the years. I love using my voice and helping others find their voice to be heard because everyone has a story to tell; everyone deserves to tell how strong they are.”
Maria Thomas
is a Bay Area native who grew up on the Peninsula and works as an educator at San Carlos Charter.
She has always been drawn to people and learning. Maria loves working with young adults and helping them to see different sides of themselves.
Representation is important and much needed to ensure that youth are able to see themselves in all areas of their community. She is proud to be a Black educator.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
“Black History Month gives us a chance to shine extra focus on some of the major historical contributions Black Americans have accomplished. To revel in the beauty of the written words of Maya Angelou and Amanda Gorman. To let ourselves escape in listening to the rhythms and movement of Miles Davis or Sarah Vaughan. To honor the achievements made possible by Henrietta Lacks. Food, Science, Politics, Theater… Black History Month is a reminder that Black culture is American culture.”
Eugene Whitlock
is a California native and he and his family have lived in San Carlos for almost 5 years. Since completing his undergraduate studies at Stanford and law degree at the University of Michigan, Eugene has lived and worked in Venezuela, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan and Germany before coming back home to California and ultimately settling in San Carlos with his wife and three children. As UC Berkeley’s Chief People & Culture Officer (Associate Vice Chancellor-Human Resources), Eugene is most proud of his work to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves. Eugene is motivated by his family and hopes that the work he does at Berkeley can be a model for other organizations to follow so that his children, and other people's children, will be able to work in places where they feel like they belong.
What does Black Joy mean to you?
“My primary joy is time with my family, so most of my pictures represent that. I am also a huge Lakers fan (a picture of them winning the championship).”
What does Black History Month mean to you?
“Although celebrating Black History and the contributions of African-American to the creation and advancement of this country should not be limited to one month per year, I do appreciate the opportunity for all of us to pause and really think about the role of African-Americans in the United States. People of color are often treated as the "other" or ignored in the United States and as I think about the experience my children have in a predominantly white community such as San Carlos (where some schools only have white teachers), it is important for them to feel seen and celebrated.”
Je’Nelle Wiley
is from East Palo Alto and a proud mom to her son, Kasim. She has worked in San Carlos since 1997, teaching dance at J & J's Dance Explosion and Dance Mode.
She currently works at San Carlos Charter, Kainos, and choreographs for the Redwood City Community Theater. In addition, she also works with children, co-directing the Praise Dance Team at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Palo Alto.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
“Black History Month to me is American history. It's where we can celebrate the many successes through the long list of turmoil and the contributions to this nation. It's also a time (which should be all the time) to reflect, learn and utilize these lessons to help better this country and ourselves.”
What does Black Joy mean to you?
“Black Joy! I love my hair! The arrange of styles; pressed, Afro, Dreadlocks and Bantu knots. I love my skin! I love the many shades it comes in; 50 shades of chocolate. I love my culture! My church, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap Dance, Soul Food, HBCU's and Ques. The kings and queens from yesterday to today. Djembe! It speaks to my soul and I reply with joy, "Thank you Mama Afrika, thank you!”
