Unearthing Joy by Gholdy Muhammad: Review of Joyful, Equitable Teaching

Gholdy Muhammad, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has become a guiding light for educators seeking to make classrooms more equitable and meaningful. With a background in literacy, language, and culture, she has served as a teacher, literacy specialist, school administrator, and even school board president. Her first book, Cultivating Genius (2020), introduced a groundbreaking framework for teaching that centers Black students' histories and identities, earning widespread acclaim. Her 2023 follow-up, Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum and Instruction, published by Scholastic, adds a fifth pursuit—joy—to that model. This book, with its layered playlists, reflection prompts, and coloring pages, has been called a "revelation" by Christopher Emdin and a "must-have" by Bettina L. Love, offering practical tools for

teachers to foster wellness, beauty, healing, and justice in learning. The book's thesis is that education must cultivate joy alongside identity, skills, intellect, and criticality to empower all students, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, by rooting teaching in their cultural and historical realities. It's a wake-up call to the ground reality that schools often miss the spark of joy, making it a must-read for its actionable ways to bring humanity back to classrooms. For Indian readers, especially youth, it's like a friend over chai, reminding them that learning should light up your soul, not just fill your head with facts. This book nudges everyone to see teaching as a path to justice and delight, a fresh take in a world playing catch-up with diverse needs.

Unearthing Joy builds on Muhammad's Cultivating Genius framework by adding joy as the fifth pursuit, arguing that true learning happens when we nurture identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy together. “Joy is more than celebration and happiness, but also as wellness, beauty, healing, and justice for oneself and across humanity” (Muhammad, 2023, p. 10). The book outlines how to make teaching culturally and historically responsive, using the HILL model (Histories, Identities, Literacies, and Liberation) to center students' lives.

Muhammad starts with joy's roots: “Students of color have ancestors with deep roots in using art and aesthetics to showcase joy through wellness, healing, and justice” (p. 15). She stresses studying the system: “The first thing that educators can do is study the system in which they are employed, which includes evaluating the curriculum that they are given” (p. 25). “Joy enables us to be resilient when adversity, racism, or disappointment confronts us” (p. 30). The five pursuits are interconnected: “Identity is composed of notions of who we are, who others say we are, and who we desire to be” (p. 40).

For skills, Muhammad suggests interdisciplinary work: “Skills refer to the academic, cognitive, and practical abilities students develop” (p. 50). Intellect involves deep knowledge: “Knowledge refers to the new interdisciplinary and cultural knowledge students acquire to become smarter about something” (p. 60). Criticality pushes for action: “Criticality pushes students to ask how they can liberate themselves, their communities, our nation, and our world from discriminatory and oppressive forces” (p. 70). Joy ties it all: “Joy is the ultimate goal for education” (p. 80).

The book offers tools: “Self-assessment tests to help you identify your particular sensitivities” (p. 90). Reflection questions prompt growth: “Of all things in the world, what must you teach?” (p. 100). “How often was joy centered in your teacher preparation, and now in your school or district?” (p. 110). Model lessons span subjects: “Ways to reframe your past experiences in a positive light” (p. 120). Playlists and coloring pages engage: “Layered playlists to play as background noise while reading” (p. 130).

Muhammad calls for systemic change: “Education must be reserved for the brightest, most genius, and most conscious among us” (p. 140). “The intentions must be deliberately connected to actions” (p. 150). The book ends with hope: “This is why we must not just be non-racist or non-oppressive but also work with passion and diligence to actively disrupt oppression” (p. 160). “Joy is what the ancestors have fought for their entire lives, and it is what we need to unearth today” (p. 170). Muhammad uses historical examples, research, and practical tools to show how joy-centered teaching transforms lives.

Unearthing Joy stands out for its heartfelt blend of theory and practice, making equity feel achievable. Muhammad’s writing is inviting: “Joy is more than celebration and happiness, but also as wellness, beauty, healing, and justice for oneself and across humanity” (p. 10) welcomes readers like a friend. The book’s strength is the five pursuits: “Identity is composed of notions of who we are, who others say we are, and who we desire to be” (p. 40) offers a clear framework. The research is deep: “Students of color have ancestors with deep roots in using art and aesthetics to showcase joy through wellness, healing, and justice” (p. 15), as Education Week (2023) notes its historical grounding.

The tools are practical: “Of all things in the world, what must you teach?” (p. 100) sparks reflection. The warmth in playlists and coloring, “Layered playlists to play as background noise while reading” (p. 130), makes it engaging. The book’s global appeal lies in its focus on justice, relevant everywhere.

Weaknesses include a U.S.-centric lens: “How often was joy centered in your teacher preparation, and now in your school or district?” (p. 110) assumes American contexts. Intersectional analysis is strong on race but lighter on caste or gender beyond Black experiences: “Criticality pushes students to ask how they can liberate themselves” (p. 70) could connect more to India. The structure, while helpful, can feel repetitive: “The intentions must be deliberately connected to actions” (p. 150) echoes earlier points.

Overall, Unearthing Joy is a transformative guide, recommended for educators seeking equity. It’s less suited for non-teachers but excels in inspiration and tools.

Why Indian Youth Readers Must Read This Book

For Indian youngsters in the rush of board exams, JEE coaching, and family pressures, Unearthing Joy is like a friend over chai, saying learning should bring delight, not just marks. The push for 95% scores feels like missing joy: “Joy is more than celebration and happiness, but also as wellness, beauty, healing, and justice” (p. 10). Rote learning is like ignoring identities: “Identity is composed of who we are, who others say we are, and who we desire to be” (p. 40). This book’s a wake-up call to make school meaningful.

The job market, with competition, echoes criticality: “Criticality pushes students to ask how they can liberate themselves” (p. 70). For youth from lower castes, “Students of color have ancestors with deep roots in using art and aesthetics to showcase joy” (p. 15) resonates with cultural pride. The framework, “Skills refer to the academic, cognitive, and practical abilities students develop” (p. 50), inspires skills beyond exams.

Societal norms, like marriage expectations, parallel liberation: “Joy enables us to be resilient when adversity confronts us” (p. 30). For girls, “Knowledge refers to the new interdisciplinary and cultural knowledge students acquire” (p. 60) highlights self-growth. The ground reality is rote systems value facts over joy, leaving kids playing catch-up with happiness. “This is why we must not just be non-racist or non-oppressive but also work with passion to disrupt oppression” (p. 150) pushes for change.

The book’s hope, “Joy is what the ancestors have fought for, and it is what we need to unearth today” (p. 170), connects to youth activism. Unearthing Joy teaches centering joy, a guide for India's high-pressure world.

Unearthing Joy is a joyful, equity-focused guide to responsive teaching. For Indian youth, it’s a mirror to rote pressures, urging meaningful learning. This book’s a warm call to unearth delight, perfect for educators and dreamers.