About DejaJoelle

“I am in divine and deliberate collaboration with my ancestors”

Photo by: Awa Mally

 

DejaJoelle is a master of her life and the reaper of the consequences sown by her choices. As a child, DejaJoelle was very close to her father and unfortunately lost him to sickle cell anemia. In her teenage years, DejaJoelle was a victim of sexual exploitation followed by extremely codependent relationships. Since the age of four, DejaJoelle has Danced. It was nothing special but something that resonated in Black culture and still does. It was how she connected with the Divine higher power. As time progressed, DejaJoelle lost her connection and questioned how she possessed the gift of Dance while simultaneously having her body abused and exploited. She wondered what the abusers saw in her that she couldn’t see or feel. Her body was numb. In 2017 DejaJoelle began to “thaw out” and all of the traumatic emotions and memories came flooding her mind and debilitated her ability to be connected with her body and Dance. DejaJoelle attempted suicide in 2018 in hopes of alleviating the pain she couldn’t put words to. In spite of her downward spiral, DejaJoelle decided to tune into her gift of Dance to assist in healing herself and getting reconnected with her body.

Since then, DejaJoelle has developed a specific aesthetic that drives the work that is being shared with you today. Using Dance, Revolutionary Love Practices, meditation, and affirmation DejaJoelle’s mission is to help guide other Black women who have had their bodies abused, used, and taken away from them towards healing and reclamation. DejaJoelle does not claim to be a therapist and owns her title of a Healing Artist using art to soothe and develop the spirit. DejaJoelle’s mission is to eradicate Sexual trauma, exploitation, trafficking, in our communities by sharing her journey and techniques with Black communities across the globe.

What if I wanted to be like a star, admired and untouched? Why must I be solid and touched? I want to be like dust...
— DejaJoelle

Photo by: Awa Mally