02/20/2022
“‘You are your best thing’ – Toni Morrison, Beloved. Toni Morrison has given us countless lessons on self-love and through her novels, speeches, and essays, has provided us with a language through which many black women, including myself, have used to express that self-love. But self-love is not simply having high self-esteem or treating oneself to occasional luxury; it also means being honest about the things you need, the things you have been robbed of, and the things by which your community is able to survive. This Black History Month, I’m reflecting on not only my own mental health and wellness but on the health and care of Black women throughout the world. Far too often, we are expected to cope with material, emotional, and mental tolls by practicing superficial forms of self-care, contributing to shallow diversity initiatives in our workplaces, and relying on our communities to bear the burden of our struggles when we can’t afford to seek therapy. While small practices of self-care and therapy help improve our overall health, I hope that we, as a society, can be more honest about who has access to these initiatives and for whom such initiatives provide tangible relief—poor Black women, for instance, often can’t afford therapy and would experience more immediate relief from financial assistance than they would from seeking therapy exclusively. I hope for a world where Black women’s financial, emotional, and sociopolitical quandaries are met with practical and immediate solutions. I hope for a world where self-love is not all we have, but also a communal love that allows us to look out for each other. I hope for a world where palpable solutions, like housing and monetary assistance, and long-term, life-changing solutions, like therapy and wellness initiatives, are accessible to Black women from all walks of life.” - Meghan Malachi ()
