For Us, By Us: A Living Archive of Black Cultural Legacy Builders

The Black Joy Archive is a global, community-powered directory celebrating the people, platforms, and places that preserve, protect, and propel Black culture.

Born from a viral conversation about cultural exploitation and erasure, this project was envisioned by Korrine Sky after a conversation with Dr. Nneka Gigi, in response to the ongoing extraction of Black creativity without reinvestment. Together with hundreds of global contributors, we’ve transformed a moment of critique into a movement of preservation.

We archive not just what we’ve created — but how we’ve survived, innovated, and celebrated despite it all.

🌍 Our Mission

To document, amplify, and sustain Black cultural institutions and initiatives across the diaspora — from Brixton to Barbados, Soweto to Seattle. This archive exists to ensure our stories are not only remembered, but resourced.

🎯 What We Collect

We spotlight Black-led projects across six core categories:

• Museums & Archives – spaces preserving history, memory, and identity
• Festivals & Cultural Events – celebrations of Black creativity and community
• Hair, Beauty & Identity – affirming spaces of ancestral aesthetics and self-expression
• Educational & Storytelling Projects – initiatives building knowledge and collective narrative
• Honours & Social Impact Platforms – awards and gatherings redistributing visibility and power
• Cultural Travel & Ecosystem Builders – networks shaping our futures, on our terms

🔧 Built With Intention

This is not just a list. It’s a living resource.

• ✅ Open-source and crowd-sourced