Bookstore Author Event: Jay Pitter "Black Public Joy"

Event details Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Location: UC San Diego Bookstore Type: Lecture / Workshop Campus area: University Center Audience: Staff and Faculty, Parents and Family, Students About this event 10/21 5-7pm: Join us for an intimate evening with award-winning public space practitioner, researcher and author Jay Pitter, celebrating her latest book, Black Public Joy. Black Public Joy explores Black public joy histories, sacred rituals, movements, dialects, design approaches and contemporary expressions—situating them within broader universal themes such as dignified belonging, healthy spatial entitlement and co-stewarding one another’s public joy. The book intentionally bends the narrative arc away from harm and toward collective flourishing, positioning public joy as civic, cultural and spatial infrastructure. Since its release, Black Public Joy has built considerable momentum. The book was featured on the Forbes Summer Reading List and longlisted for the 2026 Toronto Book Awards, and Jay has brought the work to audiences across Canada and the U.S., including two talks at Harvard University. Featuring: • Author discussion • Q&A • Book signing See you there! Official event details: https://calendar.ucsd.edu/event/bookstore-author-event-jay-pitter-black-public-joy