Restoring resilience through joy: The pursuit of happiness in the midst of unprecedented times

Abstract

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presented numerous threats to the Black community. These unprecedented times called for many individuals to extend beyond what once was the “norm” to make ends meet. It is not enough that Black people were dying at a disproportionate rate (Krieger, 2020); the virus further entrenched racism and destitution, with Black people four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than white people due to inequalities in healthcare, education, and policy decision-making. Despite a pandemic that ravaged Black communities with brutal, life-threatening circumstances and months of protesting institutional injustices and extrajudicial police brutality, Black people still found joy in moments of unrest.

“I love you all”: Centering a critical theory of love while teaching during and after the pandemic(s)

“…The next day, our planet unexpectedly turned upside down when the World Health Organization announced a global health pandemic for an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19;Soria et al, 2022). COVID-19 presented numerous threats and unprecedented challenges, including mandatory quarantines and physical social distance mandates, healthcare and racial inequities, and mental health issues (Barber et al, 2021;Burki, 2020;Ekpe et al, 2023;Santa-Ramirez et al, 2022;Tachine, 2022). As a result, higher education institutions across the globe were forced to make an abrupt shift in course delivery from in-person to online instruction.…”