Humor and joy in the linguistic play of Black girls

Abstract

Even in moments when it may seem counterintuitive to laugh, Black girls are able to access humor as a way to cope, heal, and experience joy. Black girls find ways to incorporate healing via humor into every facet of life, through multiple entry points. One of these is through their use of language. We plan to explore the myriad ways in which Black girls’ linguistic practices demonstrate the power of humor as a means of resistance and joy. Through humorous vignettes in pop culture and the authors’ own experiences and interactions with Black girls, the linguistic and literacy practices of Black girls are highlighted and unpacked. In addition, the article concludes with tips for teachers to better understand Black girls in their classroom through their literacies of humor, which can lead to more positive experiences for Black girls, and closer relationships between Black girls and their teachers.