By Rebekah D. Mason
When I first envisioned Justice Through Joy, I saw it as a space for women of color and gender queer people of color navigating the oppressive U.S. legal system and racist legal structures to explore mental health and community supports, to celebrate our joy and to connect in shared community. But our first Justice Through Joy Community Conversation gathering was so much more than that.
This Saturday morning our first Justice Through Joy Community Conversation taught me something profound: that gathering and uplifting our stories need not be forced primarily through the lens of the oppression we face, or the oppression that our ancestors faced—our stories are important and powerful and will flow organically as we center connection, celebrate joy, and honor our autonomy and choice.
This session wasn’t just a conversation—it was an act of collective healing.
Rooting Ourselves in Wisdom
Before we began, I grounded myself in the wisdom of those who have come before us by reviewing stories from activists and advocates and writers and thinkers. With the help of Justice AI, developed by Christian Ortiz, I brainstormed and reflected in advance of our conversation to guide the flow of our session—ensuring that the space felt intentional, open, and centered in justice.
I opened our conversation with a meditation honoring Grace Lee Boggs, Barbara Smith, and Dolores Huerta—activists whose work reminds us that justice is built in community, through imagination, intersectionality, and labor organizing.
Their words framed our gathering, calling us to hold space for both our struggles and our joy. We then listened to India Arie’s “I Am Light”, reflecting on her powerful words:
“I am not the things my family did / I am not the voices in my head / I am not the pieces of the brokenness inside.”
This became an invitation: to shed the weight of external expectations and step into our own light, our own power.
A Circle of Connection
What moved me the most was witnessing Black, Afro-Latina, and Latina lawyers—my friends, my sisters in justice—connect in ways that made us all feel less alone. Though we each came from different points in our journeys—some of us meeting through law school, legal aid work, mentorship, or professional spaces—we all carried shared experiences of navigating systems not built for us.
In this gathering, we didn’t just reflect on our struggles—we celebrated the ways we’ve supported each other across time, whether through personal growth, career transitions, or simply showing up when it mattered most. Seeing these incredible women share their voices reminded me that justice work isn’t just about fighting systems—it’s about finding each other, holding space, and building something stronger together.
We came into this space as individuals with our own stories, our own wounds, our own victories—but we left with something more. A reminder that we are never as alone as we think we are.
Storytelling as Liberation
I introduced five questions, allowing each person to choose which one spoke to them. Three of us spoke about powerlessness, one about building a better legal system—but the conversation was never just about the challenges. It was about witnessing, supporting, and holding space for both struggle and joy.
As India Arie reminds us:
“I am not the mistakes that I have made / Or any of the things that caused me pain.”
This is what Justice Through Joy is about: liberation through storytelling, connection through community, and healing through joy.
A Closing of Power and Purpose
We ended with breathwork, grounding ourselves in the affirmation: “I carry joy as resistance. I create justice with love. I am here, and I belong.” I left the session knowing this: ✨ Justice Through Joy isn’t just about surviving broken systems—it’s about reclaiming our stories, together.
Call to Action
This is just the beginning. If you’d like to be part of future gatherings, learn more about Justice Through Joy, or explore how storytelling can be a tool for healing and justice, please subscribe and consider reaching out.
đź“© Contact Me: justicethroughjoy.laboroflove@gmail.com
🌍 Learn More About Justice Through Joy: rebekahdmason.com/justicethroughjoy
🌍 Learn More About Justice AI & Christian Ortiz: justiceai.co
đź“‹ Share Your Experience! Take the Survey: Justice Through Joy Experience Survey
🎶 Listen to “I Am Light” by India Arie: India Arie – I Am Light
💜✨ Let’s keep building, connecting, and holding space for joy.
