Rest is not the enemy of change.
The march towards radical change requires a radical rethinking of rest.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 382 days.
The Greensboro Sit-ins lasted 6 months.
The Freedom Rides lasted seven months.
The Birmingham Movement lasted 32 days.
We have to maintain momentum + keep going to enact change. We must show up for and support the Black folks in our community who are leading this movement. We must also prioritize our own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health because the people we protest against do not. In a capitalist world, it is radical to take time to rest.
Like many of you, I have been showing up at protests locally (if you are concerned about the spread of Covid-19 while protesting, I suggest reading this smart take and demanding that local/state police stop tear gassing us) and I have also taken to social media to learn, advocate, and donate. If you are local to Sacramento, I suggest watching Black Zebra Productions’ lives on Instagram and Facebook daily to see what’s really happening in our city. Still, I am trying to make time for rest. It is imperative as we sustain this movement towards achieving true justice and enacting radical change.
Resources for Resting:
How to Rest and Recover while you Fight for Social Change
REST then RISE guided meditation for the Revolution
Learning + Listening
Read Angela Davis’ Are Prisons Obsolete? for an eloquent and well-researched tome regarding the historical context of policing and prisons in the US.
Read The Case Against Reform on Instagram & learn why the #8CantWait campaign is dangerous.
Learn more about the 8 to Abolition campaign and their 8 demands to end all police murders.
Amending my previous podcast recs
A couple weeks ago, I wrote an article recommending my 7 favorite wellness podcasts. In light of recent events wherein past and current employees outed the racist culture at Ban.do and specifically named overt racism from the company’s founder, Jen Gotch, I am replacing her defunct podcast with two new options:
hey, girl. from Alex Elle — Alex Elle’s voice could, honestly, be an ASMR channel. Plus she interviews lots of rad women and non-binary folks working in a range of creative capacities. She’s timely, centered in accessible self-care, and her story is v inspiring.
Opt-In with Aurora + Kelly — Full disclosure, this one is new to me. I became aware of it through a post from Marlee Grace on instagram and signed up for their upcoming White Women Opt-in for Transformation + Social Justice Training webinar. The podcast is an “ongoing conversation between a Woman of Color and a white woman who are unpeeling their collective conditioning, exploring ongoing re-education, and stumbling on their traumas and blind spots, all while making more space for love, forgiveness, freedom, and truth.” I’m looking forward to digging into this podcast for my own education + invite you all to join me!
Don’t stop taking action.
Sign petitions. Donate $$$. Do research (but check your sources + value work from Black folks). Listen. Rest. Protest. Fundraise.
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Yours in solidarity,
Claire