The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Joy

  • Unpacking Black Joy with Kirby Moss

    Unpacking Black Joy with Kirby Moss

    By Carlina Grillo

    If money is the root of all evil, when do people feel joyful about it? Kirby Moss, a professor and head of the journalism department at Cal Poly Humboldt, asked nearly 20 students and community members last Tuesday, Feb. 13. It left people stumped. 

    Topics discussed were Black representation in the media, feelings around finances and money, how to navigate being a first generation student while saving money for college, and hypotheticals about splurging on a life experience or saving and investing said money. 

    Rather than lecturing, Moss guided a conversation by asking plenty of thought-provoking questions. 

    “We’re in college, this is an academic setting, this is a setting of intellectual exploration. Do you think we should be learning more about money or not?” Moss said. “This conversation today is about money, but it’s not about material stuff. It’s about autonomy, it’s about options.”

    Aundrea All’love is a community member and business owner who was invited to share their experiences. One experience they have as a Black business owner is balancing mental health and community value, while still recognizing their worth and being paid a sustainable amount. 

    “From going from homeless, to some stability, to slowly growing my business now, the biggest shift I did was to focus on what brings me joy. Having faith in my ability and understanding my value,” All’love said. “I have been choosing more opportunities to make money and less scrumping down on my savings.”

    Jeremiah Keys is a sophomore at Cal Poly Humboldt who shared experiences about college being the foundation for the rest of his life. 

    “It’s not just going to be college then careers. It’s like college, then another college, then career and then struggles in between those things, but I’m still going to get through it,” Keys said. “Providing for my family and friends suits me, because I love doing it. That’s the expression that we love. Do something that suits you, but don’t push yourself to where you end up judging yourself more and more and more, and not looking at all the good that you’ve already done and all the good you can possibly do in the future.”

    This event was a part of a month-long series of events for Black Liberation Month, held by The Umoja Center for Pan African Student Excellence. For more information on upcoming events the Umoja Center can be found on Instagram at @umojahumboldt.

    “Money is not power. It’s all about us,” Moss said.

  • Kirby Moss Illustrates the Significance of Black Joy

    Kirby Moss Illustrates the Significance of Black Joy

    Journalist and Professor Kirby Moss, Ph.D, presents new book on Black joy

    Editor’s note: Kirby Moss is a professor in the journalism and mass communication department. Moss has taught and currently teaches members of the editorial staff of The Lumberjack. The author of this article is a journalism student, but has not had any classes with Moss.

    Kirby Moss, a mass communication professor at Humboldt State University, held a talk on campus about black joy Feb. 20, a topic he is currently researching for his new book, “Black Joy.”

    Moss’s first book, “The Color of Class,” discussed the paradox of privilege and talked about race and class in ways that aren’t often discussed. The assumption that white privilege comes along with the absence of poverty is a significant topic in his book.

    “It’s so much more than overcoming a group of oppressors or getting past what they’ve categorized us as. It’s overcoming stuff within ourselves and being able to appreciate moments of joy and share those moments of joy.”

    Toni Maggi-Brown

    “We don’t normally associate poverty with whiteness,” Moss said. “We don’t normally associate joy with Blackness.”

    In his new book, Moss rejects the assumption that Blackness consists of unhappiness and tragedy.

    Toni Maggi-Brown, an HSU student who attended the discussion, supported Moss’s emphasis in liberating the narrative that surrounds Black culture.

    “It’s so much more than overcoming a group of oppressors or getting past what they’ve categorized us as,” Maggi-Brown said. “It’s overcoming stuff within ourselves and being able to appreciate moments of joy and share those moments of joy.”

    Moss acknowledged the struggles in his life, but argued that ultimately it’s been full of joy.

    “I’ve had a lot of fun times, joyful times, right in the midst of the hood,” Moss said.

    Moss’ focus is the unacknowledged pleasures of being Black, but he also talked about how his joy is sometimes seen as weakness or is unacceptable by his culture.

    “I ain’t Black enough because I’m talking about joy,” Moss said.

    Moss questioned the way we measure Blackness. With his new book, Moss is attempting to shed light on the joys of Blackness while emphasizing that embracing joy doesn’t make you any less Black.