S6E7 – Is Rest Really Resistance?

In this episode, Jenn and Daren ask the questions “what qualifies as rest” and “what does it take for rest to qualify as resistance?”

In the first segment, Jenn shares an Instagram conversation that sparked the episode’s theme. They question if rest, defined as the absence of activity, can be considered a form of resistance. They reference Dr. Tricia Hersey’s argument that rest disrupts capitalistic systems of production that are anti-Black and white supremacist in nature. They emphasize the need to understand what rest and resistance truly entail.

In the second segment, Jenn and Daren discuss the sleep deficit that Black people face and how the quality of their sleep is far poorer than others. With that in mind, they outline how rest can take the form of resistance and what types of activities are included under the umbrella of rest. Jenn then does a deep dive into the concept of “deviance as resistance” and why we can’t take books like “Rest Is Resistance” at face value. We have to do the reading and do the work for our rest to not be solely a selfish act.

In the third segment, Jenn and Daren share some tools that make rest resistance. They also encourage everyone to be intentional and thoughtful about the type of rest they need and how they are going to get it.

Reference Material:
* S2E20 – Black Sleep Matters – https://soundcloud.com/thatblackcouple/thatblackcouple-ep-20-black-sleep-matters
* https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/do-black-americans-get-less-sleep-than-white-americans#overview
* Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey – https://amzn.to/3VdIHOM

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Podcast Summary:
This is an accidentally funny podcast about the realities of Blackness and adult life. We do “adult” differently. We are That Black Couple.
Our goal is to create a space for Black millennials to discuss and embody adult life on their own terms. We aren’t beholden to “traditional” gender or parenting roles, queerness is fluid and present in the ways we show up in our relationships and in the world, and we want to build community with other 30-something Black folx who are trying to figure this ish out.