(Re)Active Praxis: Black Joy Literacies as Pedagogical Praxis in ELA Teacher Education

This reflective article introduces Black Joy Literacies as a pedagogical praxis developed through the author’s experiences as a secondary English teacher and teacher educator. Grounded in Muhammad’s (2018, 2020a, 2020b, 2023) Historically Responsive Literacy framework, Black Joy Literacies extends Historically Responsive Literacy by positioning joy not merely as an emotion but as an epistemological, cultural, and pedagogical act. This framework guides preservice teachers in designing curriculum that affirms Black students’ identities, honors their literacies, and cultivates community-centered classrooms. In an educational context that too often centers Black pain, Black Joy Literacies insists that joy is central to liberation—an act of resistance, care, and creation. This praxis redefines literacy teaching as both skill and soul work, offering implications for English teacher education and future research on joy-centered pedagogies.