We are deeply influenced by Black Liberation Theology, Womanism/Womanist Theology, Afro Futurism, Reparations Theory, Somatics and Community Organizing.
Womanism is deep and layered and is the foundation of this work. There are so many amazing books, articles and ways to engage with it. Let slow research be a part of your deprogramming and healing. You will not get free by simply reading memes on social media and attempting to quickly engage via the fast paced scroll life. You will have to stop. You will have to dismantle your own unique cultural history in order to heal your own collective and individual traumas. You will have to do real work to change. Resting is a meticulous love practice. I love this definition by Layli Phillips because of its expansiveness and space for interconnectedness.
What is womanist theology: “Womanism is a social change perspective rooted in Black women’s and other women of color’s everyday experiences and everyday methods of problem solving in everyday spaces, extended to the problem of ending all forms of oppression for all people, restoring the balance between people and the environment/nature, and reconciling human life with the spiritual dimension.” -Layli Phillips, “Womanism: On Its Own,” in The Womanist Reader, p. xx.
For Black Liberation Theology, the book I turn to is from the Father of Black Liberation Theology, James Cone. Spend time slowly going through his work in “A Black Theology of Liberation”
This work is a social justice movement and we have never identified ourselves as being a part of the wellness industry. We are deeply committed to dismantling white supremacy and capitalism by using rest as the foundation for this disruption. We believe rest is a spiritual practice, a racial justice issue and a social justice issue. I began experimenting with these ideals as a way to connect with my Ancestors, to receive a Word from them and to honor my body via rest for the rest they never were able to embody due to slavery and capitalism. This is about more than naps. The work is layered, nuanced and an experimentation.
We Will Rest.
The Nap Ministry 