These days, it is easy to feel like the world is on fire: all of our bills are too high, we’re at war with Iran, the government is…well, you know how stressful politics is right now. Our news cycle usually feels like one sad or depressing story after another. But there is still an abundance of Black joy and Black excellence in our midst. So we’ve gathered up some of the week’s most cheerful news to help take your happy meter up a notch. Enjoy—and be sure to share this story in your favorite group chat. Every last one of us can use more joy in our lives! (Get last week’s joy here.)
The Spelman Seven It isn’t called the birthplace of Black Girl Magic for nothing! Spelman College recently announced a record seven valedictorians for the Class of 2026, a historic first for the storied HBCU. Coined ‘The Spelman Seven’ by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Alexis Sims, Nia-Sarai Perry, Cori’Anna White, Aiyana Ringo, Alyssa Richardson, Sophia Davis and Mariama Diallo all finished with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Congrats to the hardworking young ladies!
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Dance is LIFE! Sometimes, a video reel is worth a thousand and one words. This content represents all of the View this post on Instagram
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STEM For The Win We know the statistics for Black children and STEM are grim to say the least. Thanks to the Jack and Jill of America Foundation, Inc. our babies are gaining better access much earlier to all things STEM. That’s definitely something to celebrate.
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Women Supporting Women We will never tire enjoying Black women uplift, support and celebrate each other. The living tennis legend who is Serena Williams recently appeared on the IMO Podcast with Michelle Obama and an abundance of support, celebration and uplifting is exactly what went down. Swoon.
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Who All Gonna Be There? It is officially Prom Season 2026 and one of the best parts of Black Prom Culture is witnessing the family, friends and other loved ones show up and show out for the attendees. We love to see our community support their young people. It is a bona fide superpower.
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TOPICS: black excellence black joy black joy matters celebrating black joy
The post Celebrate Black Joy: This Week’s Best Uplifting Moments appeared first on Essence.
