Compositions of Black Joy

Welcome to the official Compositions of Black Joy YouTube channel!

Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015–2022) is a book by Philadelphia-based photographer and writer Tieshka Smith, celebrating seven years of the growth and evolution of one of the city’s longest-running Juneteenth festivals.

Here, we share highlights of past Festivals, book events, author interviews, and more — capturing the stories, moments, and voices that inspired the book. Subscribe to explore the Festival, meet the voices behind COBJ, and experience the moments that bring #blackjoy and #juneteenthjoy to life.