Joyfully Just

“Powerful teachings in a powerful voice on every page. This book arrives just in time to reboot and expand our collective understanding of what an inclusively human, multicultural, multiracial dharma, in all its universals and in all its beautifully differentiated ancestral and cultural particulars, might look like. I will be living inside this book for a long, long time.” —Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living

“In a world so marked by social hierarchies, oppression, and violence, Joyfully Just stands as a beacon of hope and a call to action. Dr. Majied’s approach to social justice is a refreshing and powerful reminder that when we start within, we can create a more equitable and compassionate world for ourselves and others. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a path to personal and collective liberation.” —Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and Trusting the Gold

“In Joyfully Just, Dr. Majied offers a creative and liberative masterpiece, a pulsing testament to the richness and strength of Black wisdom and Buddhism, dancing together for the greater good. A book to savor, celebrate, and share broadly.” —Ruth King, author of Mindful of Race

“Reading this book, I threw my arms in the air and said, Yes! Kamilah Majied offers us a powerful gift: a reminder that in order to bend the arc we need fierce compassion, love, and, yes, joy to move us to action, sustain our commitment, and stay strong. Her refreshing understanding of justice includes everyone, even that often overlooked one—ourself. She holds up a wide range of contemplative practices from Buddhist and Black traditions that help us get there: dance, music, poetry, and story as well as meditation and prayer. Just reading this book will move you to joyful action.” —Mirabai Bush, founder of The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, author of Walking Each Other Home (with Ram Dass) and Contemplative Practices in Higher Education (with Daniel Barbezat)

“This book is a deep-wisdom treasure. Kamilah intimately brings the reader into the heart of white supremacy, clearly pointing out its blinders and harms, while introducing practices to awaken and liberate us all. Simultaneously, she rekindles the joy at the heart of this freedom, bringing a wholeness that animates the heart and moves the body. Leading us to look personally into our losses, she reminds us that gratitude and enjoyment of life are essential elements of grieving well, returning us to love.” —Judith Simmer-Brown, Naropa University

“Brimming with creative and illustrative insights and connections, Kamilah Majied’s Joyfully Just shows us what I have long thought to be true: that combining Black wisdom with Buddhist insights presents us with a rich tapestry of what is actually possible, namely, that there can be deep joy in the midst of suffering even as we strive toward liberation. Joyfully Just is a soulful and heartful guidebook for coming to know, and hence for bringing forth, our innate joy and for expanding that joy out into our world. Read this book with pride and with pleasure!” —Jan Willis, author of Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist, and Buddhist

“Joyfully Just reveals the transformative power of joy and its role in liberation from oppression. Combining wisdom from Buddhist and Black cultural traditions, Dr. Majied provides a wealth of accessible contemplative practices to help navigate a world full of suffering. By encouraging us to embrace our natural, playful curiosity and see the joy inherent in fighting injustice, she offers a vision of a world with more compassion, greater resilience, and better tools to face hardship and embrace our interconnectedness.” —Thomas Hübl, PhD, author of Attuned and Healing Collective Trauma

“Joyfully Just is a transformative exploration of meditation and social justice, encouraging readers to start within themselves to address privilege, oppression, and equity. Majied’s book intertwines contemplative practices and playful curiosity, guiding readers toward liberating self-awareness and compassionate engagement with the world.” —Angel Acosta, EdD, founder of the Acosta Institute

“There is profound meaning that Joyfully Just offers in describing all the practices that allow ‘the joy of facing injustice.’ Dr. Majied teaches us deeply about possibilities of connecting personal change with the liberation of social transformation.” —Larry Yang, author of Awakening Together

“Dr. Majied’s book is a lighthouse dispelling the darkness that too often shrouds Black life. Joyfully Just helps us navigate the waves of our collective experiences, beckoning us home to the joy that is our true nature.” —Ofosu Jones-Quartey, meditation teacher and musician

“Dr. Majied is someone who you are fortunate to be with, whether in person or in a book. Like all of Dr. Majied’s work, Joyfully Just brings us to the deep joy that comes from engaging in contemplative practices that turn us toward inhumanity and injustice with courage, compassion, and a beginner’s mind.” —Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, author of From Mindfulness to Heartfulness

“Kamilah Majied is our teacher in the Black wisdom of music, dance, and prayer that she relates directly to Buddhist meditation. In this revolutionary new book, she teaches us how to be joyful and just at the same time, and she shows us that this is precisely the secret of the great social activists, of the Black spiritual traditions, of a genuine and fierce historical consciousness, and of the Buddhist teachings themselves. It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of this message or the compassion with which it is performed on the page.” —Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of How to Think Impossibly