Saying “No” Is Always an Option: Centering Rest as Resistance in Critical Equity-Oriented Work

• In Event: Advancing Critical Pedagogy and Praxis Across Educational Settings

Abstract

Background/Purpose
Critical and equity-oriented work is messy and exhausting. Nonetheless, it is urgent and
necessary given the long history and pervasiveness of white supremacy in the United States. Engaging in critical and equity-oriented work is also risky, especially for educators of Color (Anderson, 2021, Golden, 2023). This paper outlines four essential themes found in my rest practice - consistency, protection, spirituality and restoration. Recommendations are provided for other individuals pursuing critical and equity-oriented work who are looking to develop their own practice for centering rest. I use the rest is resistance framework (Hersey, 2022) in combination with cultural intuition (Delgado-Bernal, 1998) to examine how my rest practice has been developed and nurtured as I pursue my scholarship as a doctoral student and emerging scholar.

Theoretical Framework
This work draws from critical race theory and the rest is resistance framework (Hersey 2022). Critical race theory (Crenshaw et al., 1996) has been discussed in law schools and other graduate programs for decades and ignited into mainstream media by contentious political debate and under the guise of something entirely different from what the originators of the theory intended. This has led to added tension in an already divided country as educators sidestep and carefully consider the risks and the rewards for engaging in critical equity-oriented work particularly in work settings that talk about equity and justice but have not moved towards actions to live up to those ideals (Wood & Harris, 2022). The rest is resistance framework provides a lens for navigating spaces that were not designed for People of Color as we fight from the inside to make institutions live up to their mission. This work requires physical and mental energy and an intentional rest practice.

Scholarly Significance
In a society that continuously prioritizes profits over people it can be challenging to say “no” and resist constraints placed upon Woman of Color. Indeed, capitalism and white supremacy require our labor to function as it always has, which is often at the detriment to the health, wealth, and livelihood of Black women and their families (Fossett, 2021; Pitt et al., 2015; West & Jones, 2023). Therefore, developing and nurturing a practice of rest is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity for the survival of Black women in academia. This paper makes a strong case for why it is essential to say “no” to the grind culture (Hersey, 2022), so we can thrive. During slavery our enslaved ancestors were not given the option to say “no.”. Those who dared to resist were often punished brutally and publicly to instill fear in the minds of other enslaved people and deter them from resisting as well. When we say no to overworking ourselves and no to capitalism, we honor our bodies, minds, and spirits. We also honor our ancestors.

Author

• Tara Kirton, Hunter College - CUNY