Is resting a form of rebellion? The past several years have brought high levels of loss to the Black Midwest. From the increase in hate group and hate crime activity to voter suppression, police murders, COVID, and more, Black folks have barely had time to rest. How can we in the Black Midwest find space and time for rest, rejuvenation, and joy as we continue working for justice? How might frameworks such as intergenerational trauma and reparations help us find new pathways away from burnout and towards respite and reclamation of our health? How can we find and embrace communal, culturally specific ways of healing that will attend not only to our physical needs but also to our spiritual and emotional needs? If we consider rest as part of resistance, what does it spark as we imagine our futures in the Black Midwest?

Confirmed Panelists:

Janett Lewis

Kama Tai Mitchell

AK Wright

Kerrie Trahan

Moderator:

Catherine R. Squires