Why Black Women Are Declaring Rest & Self-Preservation For The Next Four Years
It's been weeks since the election results have come in, and the resounding response of millions of Black women all over the country has been unequivocal: America, you're on your own. Exit polls showed that 92% of Black women voted for Kamala Harris, an even higher number than those who voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
It's clear that we showed up when it mattered most. But are we surprised? We always do our part; the rest of this country didn’t do theirs, and it’s not up to us to save y’all this time.
Yet, as the shadow of a Trump inauguration looms, Black women, myself included, have taken to social media to declare that whatever happens next, we won't be the leaders of any movements or causes because we did our part; it's time for the rest of America to do what our ancestors have done since the moment we were brought to this country - work.
Why Rest Is Needed
Black women are proclaiming the next four years as a time of rest and deep self-preservation, a contrast to the resilience we've demonstrated time and time again for the sake of the greater good and during this election process.
Our strength was evident in the monumental Win With Black Women Zoom call that saw over 44,000 (including myself and my mama) participants rally to raise more than 1.5 million dollars for Harris's campaign and in the endorsements from powerful figures like Oprah Winfrey, Angela Bassett, Kerry Washington, Viola Davis, and Beyoncé.
We showed up and showed out to win this election (like we did for Obama and Joe Biden) and still—we lost. So what's next? According to the sentiments of thousands of Black women online - we do what our mamas and grandmas used to do when we didn’t want to eat what they cooked for dinner: let them fend for themselves.
Our needs should be the first priority, and this election process has been traumatizing enough. The racial rhetoric that we’ve endured surrounding Kamala Harris and the questions of her race, qualifications, and overall worthiness have made it very clear that this country continues to not see us as good enough.
So let them navigate the next four years without us. By taking care of ourselves, we affirm our importance and contribute to our own resilience - leaving a legacy of radical self-care for the Black girls of today and the future to know that at this time in our nation's history, we took a unified stand of rest.
How Chronic Stress Impacts Black Women Differently
Studies have shown that chronic stress biologically ages Black women faster than white women in a process called weathering. The term was coined by Dr. Arline T. Geronimus, a public health researcher during her time at Princeton University in 1992 and in her book titled Weathering. Her findings show how marginalized communities are at a higher risk of the chronic stress that comes from living in a racist society.
Additionally, 2021 research on race-related stress shows that not only are Black women exposed to higher levels of chronic stress, but it can also affect our central nervous system, cognition and learning, immune system functions, cardiovascular systems, gastrointestinal complications, and overall mortality.
Speaking with experts regarding Black women's stance post-election, trauma therapist Ashley McGirt-Adair suggests that right now, she doesn’t recommend Black women do anything outside of rest. "During this time, Black women should embrace rest without guilt, engage in joyful activities, practice mindfulness and community care, celebrate your strengths, seek professional support, and lastly, play music and dance." She places emphasis on dance most of all, as our music and movement has long been a way to connect and embrace the joy that is our birthright.
McGirt-Adair also points to the women of the Black Panther Party, whose embodiment of joy and Black pride fueled their resilience. "When I watch videos of the Black Panther Party, I see their fists held high. Afros. All black and enjoying each other's Blackness. Too often, we equate Blackness with oppression, but it's joy, and that is what I think we should be doing. Resting and experiencing joy."
And as joy is our birthright, so is the right to push back against the idea that Black women exist to serve. Chronic stress wreaks havoc on our bodies, leading to serious health risks like hypertension and heart disease. Andrea Dalzell, RN, eloquently states, along with the knowledge that rest is a form of resistance, a nod to Tricia Hersey’s teachings through The Nap Ministry and her novel Rest is Resistance. “By prioritizing rest, Black women can continue leading, advocating, and uplifting from a place of resilience rather than depletion,” Dalzell says.
As Jasmine Johnson, an exercise psychologist and yoga instructor, emphasizes, rest is a fundamental need for survival, not just an option. It's a necessity, and we must reinforce within our community that it's perfectly acceptable to take a step back. "We can take our crowns off and rest," she urges, reminding us that attending to our well-being is paramount.
In this moment in history, whether you are, in the words of our illustrious Vice President Kamala Harris, rolling up your sleeves, or you’re taking the stance of rest is resistance, know that you deserve to prioritize yourself. Not just today, but every single day that matters because your life and overall wellness quite literally depend on it. We have been the backbone of movements and change, and now it's time to care for our minds, bodies, and spirits.
By prioritizing our needs, we can chart a new path forward to ensure rest is our birthright, and when (and if) we so choose to ready ourselves to lead the charge when the call comes again.
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Dubbed one of the "21 Black Women Wellness Influencers You Should Follow" by Black + Well, Yasmine Jameelah continues to leave her digital footprint across platforms ranging from Forever 21 Plus, Vaseline, and R29 Unbothered discussing all things healing and body positivity. As a journalist, her writing can be found on sites such as Blavity, Blacklove.com, and xoNecole. Jameelah is also known for her work shattering unconventional stigmas surrounding wellness through her various mediums, including her company Transparent Black Girl. Find Yasmine @YasmineJameelah across all platforms.
Your Guide To Letting Go Of What No Longer Serves You Based On Astrology
Letting go is a gift we are given and a strength that we find throughout our lives. There are times when we want to grab ahold of what we are experiencing and sensing, and times when we need to let go of something that was once everything to us or what we wanted for ourselves. The moment you conclude that you need to let something go in your life is the moment that your brain fights to make that happen for you.
In Astrology, there is an area of your birth chart that is designed for you to understand where you will be letting go a lot in this lifetime, and exactly how to do so. We dive through the birth chart as we seek a deeper understanding of ourselves and let go of what no longer serves us, and there are tools available to help us do so. If you don't know where your South Node is in your birth chart, you can use a free calculator like this one here.
What Does Your South Node Represent in Astrology?
When it comes to what we are destined to let go of or move away from in this lifetime, we look to the South Node. The South Node is the area of your birth chart that has to do with your past lives, karma, lessons, old habits and traits, gifts, and energy you are moving away from in this lifetime.
Your South Node is opposite your North Node, which is your destiny and the energy you want to move towards.
We can learn a lot from our South Node and it’s an area of our life where we tend to gain the most wisdom. By understanding why some patterns in your life tend to play out in the same ways, you can be more conscious of the choices you make in the now and let go of who and what doesn’t serve you in the process.
South Node Insights: Letting Go
The South Node is our natural gifts and talents, but also where we don’t need to focus so much of our energy on, taking us away from where we need to be developing, which is the North Node. So when you are looking to let go of something, gain a new perspective, or feel more trusting in what you are doing right now, you can examine your South Node.
We learn from our South Node by not making the same mistakes over again, letting go of what needs to be let go of, and understanding what we need in order to create space for our new beginning.
Read below for your South Node on how to let go of what no longer serves you.
Aries South Node: Letting Go of Independence for Connection
You are used to being independent and figuring things out on your own. In this lifetime, however, you are being asked to lean on others for support when you need it. You are working on letting go of the ego and focusing more on the heart. By extending your compassion for others, you discover a part of yourself that leads you toward empowerment and allows you to let go of a false sense of safety.
You are meant to experience harmonious, fortunate, and compatible love in this lifetime, and you will do so by opening your heart to others and letting go of people who don’t support you or whom you can’t count on.
Taurus South Node: Releasing Overdependence and Superficiality
With your South Node in Taurus, you are letting go of the need to acquire by focusing on the depth and intention of what you are obtaining. Your relationships tend to have a lot to do with your financial world, and these things can get twisted and distorted if you are not being careful.
In this lifetime, you are working on letting go of what doesn’t serve you by following your heart and your intuition more and focusing more on the feeling you want for yourself rather than the things themselves. You are also working on letting go of overdependence or superficiality in relationships, by connecting with the people whom you have a deep and spiritual bond with.
Gemini South Node: Finding Freedom in Authenticity
For you, letting go means following your freedom. You are meant to do things your own way in this lifetime, and the less you can focus on how you are going to be perceived, the more you can live the life of your dreams. With a South Node in Gemini, you are moving away from the commotion of life. What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is traveling, getting out of your comfort zone, and being in new environments.
In past lives, you may have given too much of your focus on your social successes and business pursuits, and in this lifetime, you are meant to focus on the bigger picture. What helps you let go is understanding that once you do, better is available to you.
Cancer South Node: Trusting Yourself Beyond Emotional Impulses
With a South Node in Cancer, you are learning to trust yourself and your logic more than your emotional world in this lifetime. By letting go of feeling like you have to be the one to nurture and support everyone and allowing people to do that for you, you lead your destiny.
With your South Node in Cancer, you are letting go of emotional impulsiveness or making decisions irrationally before you have thought about them.
In past lives, you were led by your emotional world, and in this lifetime, you are meant to think more about your long-term goals and intentions. What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is knowing that you are more than what you can give to others.
Leo South Node: Prioritizing Community Over Recognition
In this lifetime, you are working on letting go of the need to be seen and recognized and focus more on your need for community and soul companionship. You are moving away from the “I” and moving closer to the “We.” What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is giving your focus to humanity, the progress you want to make in this lifetime, and who you want to make it with.
You are learning how to work with others and let go of the need to figure everything out yourself. The more you connect with the people who make you want to team up and form a relationship, rather than the people who make you want to be alone, the better for you.
Virgo South Node: Embracing Compassion Over Perfection
In this lifetime, you are letting go of the need to do everything yourself and to have everything all together. You can let go of what no longer serves you by thinking more with your heart than you do with your mind and by trusting this gift of yours. By focusing more on your spirituality, emotional connections, and creativity, you let go of a timid side of you that can disrupt your relationships or the bonds you make.
In past lifetimes, you were focused on perfection. In this lifetime, you are meant to focus on compassion. By surrendering more to the flow of things, you can let go of what no longer serves you while remaining open for what does.
Libra South Node: Rediscovering Your Independence
With your South Node in Libra, you are meant to experience the gifts of independence, freedom, and inner clarity in this lifetime. In the past, you may have been more dependent on the people around you and made a lot of your focus on love. However, in this lifetime, you are being reminded to not lose your identity in others. You can let go of what no longer serves you by only moving towards the things that feel authentic to you.
You are meant to feel confident, inspired, and free in your relationships, and if you don’t feel this way, then that is a sign you are around energy that doesn’t serve you. You are meant to do things your own way in this lifetime.
Scorpio South Node: Letting Go of Struggles and Embracing Ease
With your South Node in Scorpio, you have lived many lives and have experienced a lot emotionally. In this lifetime, you are learning how to trust the process more and to understand that not everything has to be difficult or trying for you. You can experience great things with ease, and you’ll know you are in the right place when things are just falling into your lap.
What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is focusing more on the things and people who make you feel safe, stable, and comfortable. Instead of always seeking the rush or the thrill, bring your attention more towards the things that ground you.
Sagittarius South Node: Building Connection Through Learning
Your South Node in Sagittarius urges you towards connection with your community and your immediate environment. In this lifetime, you are letting go of the need to be everywhere at once, rather than with the people who matter most to you. You are moving away from knowing everything and into learning everything.
By looking at life as a place where you will learn, grow, and connect, you can let go of the things that stretch you too thin or don’t serve your heart.
What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is expressing yourself more, meeting new people, and spending time on a cause or creative project that inspires you.
Capricorn South Node: Choosing Home and Foundations Over Status
In this lifetime, you are meant to put more value and effort into your personal life, home, family, and foundations in life. In past lifetimes, a lot of your focus was on your reputation, achievements, and successes, and in this lifetime, you are meant to bring your energy more to the home base, family, and stability in life.
You will know if something is right for you if you want it because it makes you feel safe and nurtured, rather than just something that looks pleasing to the eye. What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is by focusing more on your personal life rather than your public, and what you truly see for yourself here.
Aquarius South Node: Shining in Your Individuality
With an Aquarius South Node, you are meant to shine, be seen, and express yourself in this lifetime. You are letting go of the lone wolf energy you are used to, and working on taking up space. You are able to let go of what no longer serves you by being confident in yourself and the decisions you are making.
If someone doesn’t make you feel like the best thing in the entire world, then they aren’t right for you. In past lifetimes, you gave a lot of your energy to your community and the people around you, and in this lifetime, you are meant to focus on yourself and your path more. It’s all about doing what makes you feel good and trusting that you deserve to.
Pisces South Node: Honoring Logic While Embracing Intuition
Your lesson in this lifetime is that your mind is your gift. In past lives, you were very intuitive, psychic, and spiritual, and in this lifetime, you are learning to trust and honor the logical part of yourself more. You may tend to put your all into your relationships and not get the same energy back, and you are working on taking care of yourself first before you can give to another.
What helps you let go of what no longer serves you is trusting your body and the signals it gives you when you are around certain people or energy that doesn’t serve. Get organized, figure out your needs, boundaries, and wants, and get clear on who you are and what you want for yourself.
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Meagan Good Says She's 'The Most Peaceful' With Jonathan Majors Despite Public Doubts
When it comes to her relationship with her fiancé Jonathan Majors, Meagan Good is glowing and giving God all the praises.
While promoting the final season of Harlem, the actress sat down with Entertainment Tonight and shared how she is feeling in her relationship with the Creed III star after being told by co-host Kevin Frazier that the pair "seem perfect together."
"It's amazing," Meagan responded, seemingly echoing the ET host's sentiments. "I can't stop smiling because God is just so interesting, you know? And I would've never anticipated what may seem like the craziest season outwardly to people, being the most peaceful, freeing, joyful, fun, adventurous self-discovery, I mean, all those things for me. I'm just in a place of peace and just complete thankfulness."
The Divorce in the Black star continued to reflect on her journey of weathering different storms so publicly, noting that she is embracing the shift and transformation that her growing season has asked of her.
"Even now as I look around, there's been this kind of big chapter in space where I was constantly growing and shifting and being molded and learning and realizing all these things, and so now I'm just like, 'Okay, now what's the next part of that?' I don't know what's next, but I'm really excited about it."
Meagan Good can't stop smiling over her engagement to Jonathan Majors
@entertainmenttonight Meagan Good can't stop smiling over her engagement to Jonathan Majors 🥹 #meagangood #jonathanmajors #engagement
Despite the joy the 43-year-old has been vocal about feeling in her relationship with Mr. Majors, Meagan has faced online criticism from doubters who question her frequent references to God and His timing, drawing parallels to things she shared publicly about her previous marriage with DeVon Franklin.
In a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, Meagan addressed the skepticism around her relationship and reaffirmed her belief that her relationship with Majors is God-ordained.
"I'm a very optimistic person," Meagan told the hosts. "I really do trust God, and even when I don’t understand, I just have to lean into the fact that God knows what it is and what it’s supposed to be."
However, Meagan and Jonathan's relationship hasn't been one without controversy.
Most notably, Jonathan faced some *major* legal troubles in 2023, following assault charges brought against him by his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari who accused the actor of a "pattern of pervasive domestic abuse that began in 2021 and extended through 2023." The charges resulted in a significant fallout for the actor's rising star in Hollywood, leading to his removal from major film projects, including his role as Kang in the MCU.
Since then, Jonathan has been found guilty of lesser charges and ordered to complete a domestic violence intervention program, and late last year reached a settlement agreement with Grace; nonetheless, the court of public opinion has remained divided. Many critics have speculated that the relationship is all PR and an attempt at rehabbing Jonathan's public image.
In her interview with The Breakfast Club this week, Meagan continued to stand firm in her commitment, stating that the legal challenges weren’t "too much" for her to handle and that she never reconsidered their relationship despite public scrutiny. She also revealed that prayer played a major role in her certainty about Jonathan being "the one."
What makes the relationship work is trust and faith. Meagan told Ebony in a recently released interview just how different the relationship she is in from others she has been in, noting that "unconditional love" is something she's learning. "This relationship has taught me about unconditional love," she told the mag.
She continued, "What it means to be loved in the fullness of who you are and to love someone who brings out the best in you."
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