No. 14 - Black Joy in the Wilderness with Kleaver Cruz

During the process of developing a new book creative, writer, and educator Kleaver Cruz joins host JP Reynolds for an exchange about imagination, liberation, and the complexities of black joy. About Kleaver Cruz: From Uptown, NYC Kleaver is a Black queer Dominican-American creative, writer and educator. Kleaver’s work has been featured in various publications in print and online. Cruz is also one half of the poetic duo, The Delta, which has performed at The Nuyorican Poet’s Café and Bowery Poetry Club, among other spaces. Kleaver is an alum of the VONA/Voices of Our Nation Foundation's Emerging Writer's Non-Fiction and Kenyon Review Writer’s Fiction Workshops.  Cruz has presented and conducted work across the African Diaspora in South Africa, France, Brazil and other countries. Cruz is the creator of The Black Joy Project, a digital and real-world affirmation that Black joy is resistance. Kleaver is also a member of We Are All Dominican--A U.S.-based grassroots collective that works in solidarity with movements led by Dominicans of Haitian descent fighting for inclusion and citizenship rights in the Dominican Republic. Cruz believes in the power of words as the means to write the stories that did not exist when Cruz needed them the most. About JP Reynolds: Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University. Conversation Topics: The "Yes-And" of Black Joy (3:54) • Equality v. Liberation (11:38) • Abundance of Life (16:40) • How Much Imagination Do We Really Need? (22:38) • Black Expression and Social Media (29:49) • Black Joy to Complicate the Narrative of Suffering (33:12) • Why a Global Perspective is Important (39:58) • The Role of Artistry (45:55) • Joy, Healing, and AfroFutures (50:58) • Kleaver's New Book (58:56) Reading Recommendations: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer “National Liberation and Culture” by Amilcar Cabral Theme Songs: "Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY "Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY --- Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds