Embracing the Legacy of Self-Care: A Journey Through Black History

It’s interesting…

We often associate health and wellness with certain culture.

Asian cultures for ancient medicines.

Mediterranean cultures for healthy fats, and Italians for their daily movement. 

However, African-American culture, both past and present, is rarely recognized for its rich history of healing and self-care.

Long before Christ, the inhabitants of the African continent were the original healers. 

Like other indigenous peoples around the world, Africans had a deep understanding of medicine, including surgeries that healed people. 

They combined a profound respect for nature with a solid understanding of human biology and anatomy. 

They knew the transformative power of the human body to heal itself when supported by rest, nature, water, herbs, and nourishment.

In fact, self-care originated as a prescription from doctors. 

It was considered essential for preventative and restorative health. 

Doctors encouraged practices like rest, nature, hydration, and eating nourishing foods.

Practices that were passed down through generations until they were intentionally erased from our collective memory.

For generations after that, Black women were born into a reality where they didn’t legally own their bodies, knowledge, or self-care rituals. 

This disconnection from tradition, education, and rites of passage has resulted in African-Americans being disconnected from their bodies.

This disconnection has led to the health disparities we still face today, from childbirth complications to Alzheimer’s disease.

In the 1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement, self-care experienced a renaissance. 

The Black Panther Party adopted self-care as a priority, with leaders like Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, and Ericka Huggins openly practicing yoga to stay grounded and energized for the fight for justice. 

Self-care was essential to sustaining long-term activism. 

For Black communities, self-care was not a luxury…it was a tool for survival and resistance.

Fast forward to today, and self-care has lost much of its meaning. 

What we now see associated with self-care, especially under hashtags like #SelfCareSunday, has become more about luxury and privilege than about genuine, accessible self-care.

But there’s a misconception about self-care.

True self-care is inexpensive, if not free, accessible to everyone at all times, and provides long-term benefits. 

It is our birthright with no barriers to entry. The more expensive, infrequent, and ritualized we make it, the more it becomes pampering and privilege. 

So when we indulge in #SelfCareSunday, we’re really saying we’re privileged. 

And that’s okay! I love privilege, too. 

But let’s not forget that self-care is far more fundamental than that.

As our nation navigates changes similar to those of the 1960s, investing in our self-care is more important than ever. 

We can feel the friction in the air and we should not forget that our bodies are keeping score. 

Self-care was central to the Civil Rights Movement because it fortified individuals from the inside out.

And we could use the wisdom of our Elders and Ancestors.

This Black History Month, let’s take time to honor our heritage and legacy of self-care.

Self-care is for everyone, regardless of your background. 

If the mainstream image of self-care doesn’t resonate with you, use this time to rediscover what self-care means to you. 

How can it reconnect you to your body, your Self, and your ancestors?

How divine it is that Black History Month falls in the middle of winter.

We are in the season of self-care when we are called to rest. 

This is the perfect time to embrace self-care as a way to reconnect with our ancestry and nourish our well-being.

Accept this invitation to practice self-care, reclaim your power, health, and wellness, and embrace the legacy of self-care that includes you.

We get to live the life and have the health of our ancestors wildest dreams.

And let this Black History month be an invitation for all races and ethnicities to embrace their heritage and roots in self-care.

This Black History Month, join us on a transformative journey to rediscover the true essence of self-care. Get the Black History Month Self-Care Package and reconnect with your roots—don't miss this opportunity to honor your past, your present, and your future.