Can Getting into "Good Trouble" Be a Part of Your Joy Plan?

On March 7, 1965—Bloody Sunday—Rep. John Lewis and fellow civil rights activists courageously marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, demanding voting rights for Black Americans. Their peaceful demonstration was met with brutal violence, but their sacrifices awakened the nation and directly led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965—a landmark victory in the struggle for justice. ​

Today, we find ourselves in another pivotal moment. New orders, policies and practices seek to erase, diminish, and oppress individuals, communities, and entire movements. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, as if everything is out of our control. But what if joy could be a form of resistance? What if getting into “good trouble” could be part of your joy plan?​

✨ How can joy help us organize, mobilize, and build coalitions?

✨ Can joy be a direct and strategic tool in our advocacy?

✨ How does joy sustain us for the long fight?

Sociologist Rashawn Ray offers ideas we can adapt to a joy-centered resistance:​

Joy shapes how we vote—our decisions at the ballot box should align with a future where joy is abundant, not scarce.​

Joy happens at every age—it’s a resource we can all leverage to create collective impact.​

Speaking truth to power requires authenticity—a joy plan is real, vulnerable, and deeply personal.​

Joy strengthens advocacy—when joy is an anchor, we fight with more clarity, resilience, and determination.​

A joy plan keeps you in the fight—joy is not a distraction; it is fuel.​

John Lewis taught us that getting into “good trouble, necessary trouble” is how we make change. What if joy was the strategy that made that good trouble sustainable?​

How do you incorporate joy into your fight for justice? How does joy keep you in the work? Let’s build this together.