Joy as Resistance: Cultivating Mental Health and Well-Being Among Black Women Through Self-Care and Community Support

Abstract

Black women navigate systemic racism, underrepresentation, and societal expectations in higher education and entrepreneurship, making joy a radical act of resistance essential for mental health resilience. This chapter ties on lived experiences to explore self-care practices, creative expression, mindfulness, boundary setting, and community support systems that reclaim agency and foster well-being. Creative outlets, such as journaling and the arts, reconnect individuals with their identity amid marginalization, while meditation provides a sense of grounding. Community bonds are formed through mentorship, peer groups, and activism, affirming worth and challenging oppressive narratives. Volunteering in mental health advocacy reveals the collective healing power. Joy fuels professional thriving, transforming spaces into equitable environments. Audre Lorde articulates, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Empowering Black women and allies, this work positions joy as a liberation strategy.