Self-Care and Resistance: How Black Women Are Reclaiming Rest
- Kayla Smernoff
- 21 hours ago
- 4 min read
“We must believe that we are worthy of rest. We don’t have to earn it. It is our birthright” said Tricia Hersey, the poet, artist, activist and founder of The Nap Ministry.
In a country where work has become a religion and exhaustion a badge of honor, the simple act of rest can be radical, especially for Black women. Work culture is American culture. And for many of us, the expectation to grind is a direct inheritance from slavery, where our bodies were commodified and our labor extracted without care.
Hersey’s Nap Ministry calls for her followers to “rest and resist together” with reminders like “You were enough before capitalism lied” appearing throughout the organization’s social media.
This legacy shapes the way rest is policed, pathologized, and withheld. But today, a growing number of Black women are reclaiming rest, not as luxury, but as liberation.
As America’s political and cultural landscape continues to cause unrest throughout the country, some Black women are reevaluating the intersection between self-care and resistance.
The roots of self-care practices in Black America today can be traced back to the Black Panther Party and Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s. However, America’s individualistic, productivity focused culture breeds opposition to relaxation. For many Black Americans the violent legacy of slavery looms over the idea of self-care.
“Holistic needs of Black communities and Black activists have always been a part of community organizers’ tactics,” Dr. Maryam K. Aziz said in a conversation with Teen Vogue. “Black women, often queer, pushed other activists toward caring for themselves as a necessary, everyday revolutionary practice.” In other words, in times of strife, relaxation is necessary to maintain a healthy mind and continue the necessary work that is bred out of activism.
Minaa B., a mental health educator and author, spoke at the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture Wellness House about one of her expertise, community care. “One of the things I always teach people is that self-care is the bridge to community care, and what that means is we have to make sure that we are nourished so that we can be useful to other people and have the capacity to give to other people,” she said.
Today, many Black women are reevaluating how they show up for their communities and the vulnerable populations of the United States. For Sereatha Brooks Blackwell, a mother and teacher based in Seattle, taking time to breathe is essential to be able to care of herself and the people that are closest to her.
“It can often feel as if we are out here on our own, without support from anyone, while still carrying so many responsibilities and handling it with a smile, strength, wisdom and style,” Brooks Blackwell said. “We are learning that it’s OK to need support.”
“‘Get somebody else to do it’ is coming into style for us!” said Brooks Blackwell.
Thousands of Americans have been stepping into their local streets or traveling to the nation’s capital to demonstrate against the actions of the Trump administration. One of the largest demonstrations was the Hands Off protest during a national day of action on Saturday, April 5.
Two days after the protest, The Nap Bishop shared her frustration with being asked to comment on what she referred to as the “next four years' mess.”
I’m “not attaching my ten plus years of work with any trends and reactionary behavior to what people are doing. We Will Rest Always,” said Hersey.
During the Hands Off protest at the beginning of April, American journalist Charles M. Blow shared an image of Black women enjoying brunch and gazing at the mostly white crowd marching past their restaurant. “This picture captures the racial dichotomy of responsibility many people feel in this moment,” said Blow.
Some creators of color on TikTok, shared that they were not attending the Hands Off protest because it was time for activist groups that had not been as harshly persecuted to step in.
TikTok user @NataliesTake, quoted sentiments shared with her by white protesters, such as “This was our time to stand up for you, too. You’ve done enough.”
As the state of democracy continues to evolve some Black women have found other ways to resist.
“As we see daily attacks on our democracy, it is more important than even that we can tell our own stories, document our lives, and express ourselves in art!” said intersectionality and civil rights scholar Kimberle Crenshaw via her Instagram. Crenshaw co-founded and leads the African American Policy Forum which is hosting Democracy Defenders workshops and seminars to teach young people how to resist through storytelling and art.
A tumultuous political climate can make caring for oneself and ensuring loved ones are safe and happy difficult. Audre Lorde’s book of essays, “A Burst of Light,” touches on how the late author balanced identity, social justice activism and politics through her own struggles.
“I had to examine, in my dreams as well as in my immune-function tests, the devastating effects of overextension,” said Lorde. “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
Brooks Blackwell shared that, similarly to Lorde, tumultuous politics makes time for personal healing even more essential.
“Taking control of our wellness and focusing on self-care is a powerful way to reclaim and maintain our peace, especially when the outside world feels chaotic,” Brooks Blackwell said. “This doesn’t mean ignoring the challenges in our country, but we must refuse to let it take away our ability to take care of ourselves.”
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