Yes, The 92% Deserves Rest

Black women, we cannot save America from itself. That was evident with the last election. But we can save ourselves. Yesterday, we hope you rested and celebrated MLK Day—a day honoring a man who understood the urgency of self-care and collective care in the fight for justice.

As Black women, our rest is revolutionary. Choosing to step back, reflect, and renew ourselves is not just an act of defiance—it’s a survival strategy. Historically, Black women like Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, Maya Angelou, and Anna Julia Cooper have shown us the way. They taught us that we must first care for ourselves if we hope to care for others and create meaningful change.

We as Black women are not mules. We are not tireless, magical beings who can endlessly pour from an empty cup. We are human beings, deserving of rest, care, and the freedom to honor our own humanity.

Choosing rest is a declaration that our well-being matters. It’s a refusal to carry the world without considering the weight we’re already holding. When we rest, we remind ourselves and others that we are more than what we produce or endure—we are worthy simply because we exist.

To every Black woman that reclaimed rest yesterday: you are continuing a legacy of resilience and radical self-love. Thank you for shifting the narrative and creating space for healing, growth, and liberation. Let’s celebrate rest as the powerful, transformative act it truly is. Together, we are shaping a more just and balanced world—one restorative moment at a time.