Episode 4: Self-Care Re-rooted

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Episode Notes

In tough times we all need to be sure to take care of ourselves, but when it comes to Black Feminism, what is the meaning of self-care? In this episode, we discuss the term self-care in the context of the work of writer and activist Audre Lorde and the way it gets repurposed to mean self-pampering. Guests Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Feminista Jones, Dr. Courtney Marshall, Paris Hatcher, Charlene Carruthers, Dr. Brittney Cooper, and Raquel Willis reveal the political importance of self-care to Black feminists and its connection to community care. And Crystal and Krystal discuss the meaning of self-care in their own lives.

Photo (above): “A study of plants at Dunbar High School featuring Adrienne Featherstone.” Scurlock Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, AC0618-004-0000669.

Production Credit

The podcast is produced in partnership with Smithsonian Enterprises Digital. Our production team is Jenna Hanchard, Taylor Polydore, Ann Conanan, and Alana Gomez. Special thanks to Fath Davis Ruffins, Dr. Modupe Labode, and Dr. Tony Perry. 

Resources

Evans, Stephanie Y. Black Women's Yoga History: Memoirs of Inner Peace. Albany: State University of New York Press. 2021. 

Lorde, Audre. A Burst of Light: And Other Essays. Courier Dover Publications, 1989. 

Taylor, Sonya Renee. The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love. First edition. Oakland, California: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated, 2018.

Collected is funded by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Museum of American History.