Rest against capitalism this holiday season.

Because the United States of America has an unofficially Christian foundation, the Christmas holiday has always been front and center in winter holiday celebrations. Although the gift-giving aspect of the holiday stems from the story of the three wise men who bestowed gifts upon the newborn Jesus, the tradition has morphed into a modern-day capitalist monster. For most of history, this time of year was about spending time with one’s family. Still, after the publications of The Night Before Christmas (in 1823) and, especially, A Christmas Carol (in 1843), the idea of “Christmas shopping” flooded the Western marketplaces and changed the way we experience the holiday season forever (Bustle).

Happy Friday! As I reflect on the last few days of 2020, I'm making rest a priority. The holiday season often brings immense pressure, and the last days of the year often stress us to be more productive. Rest might feel like a selfish indulgence, but it's actually a revolutionary way to reclaim our sense of self and identity in a capitalistic society.

I appreciate how Shayna, the author of today's piece, draws the correlation between holiday expectations and the relationship between productivity and capitalism. Her words center the Black experience, but remind all of us that grace and ease is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and each other.

Tomorrow is our weekly Study Hall where we answer questions and share insights from the community. I'll have an exciting update about our community growing, too! As always, you can support our work by making a one-time gift on our website or PayPal, or subscribe for $7/month on Patreon. You can also Venmo (@nicoleacardoza).

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Be honest with yourself and your loved ones this season: What is your financial situation this year? Is your spending linked to your idea of self-worth? Does this stem from racism?
Find communal ways to celebrate the holiday season, like volunteering at a food bank, gathering on a family Zoom call, having a holiday game night, or making gifts together.
If you can spend money on gifts this season, buy from Black and Indigenous-owned small businesses instead of Amazon or Wal-mart. Follow hashtags like #Blackownbusiness, #indigenousownedbusiness, #buyBlack, and #buyindigenous for ideas.
Follow @decolonizingtherapy and @thenapministry for practical ways to support BIPOC self-care this season.

GET EDUCATED

By Shayna Conde (she/her)

The capitalist history of modern Christmas

The toxic relationship between holiday capitalism and the intergenerational trauma of slavery

Intergenerational (also known as transgenerational) trauma is defined as a form of trauma whose “effects are not only psychological but familial, social, cultural, neurobiological and possibly even genetic” (American Psychological Association). The effects of the traumatic experience of transatlantic slavery are long-lasting and constantly being unearthed by those of us in the diaspora.

One way intergenerational trauma shows up is in the need to constantly work and produce as a means of identity. During slavery times, the monetary value of an enslaved African’s life was based upon what and how much they could produce (Measuring Worth). Although the time of transatlantic slavery is over, our current oppressive systems further instill in us that if we are not working until we drop (and can show proof of that labor), then we are worth less than others. The relationship between the ever-hungry capitalistic beast of modern-day Christmas and the ever-working, generationally traumatized Black person can be a dangerous one.

“Because the holiday season often requires us to keep track of and pay attention to a greater number of responsibilities than usual, the brain’s prefrontal cortex goes into overdrive. Over time, a high level of demand can decrease memory, halt production of new brain cells, and cause existing brain cells to die,” explains psychology professor Dr. Ellen Braaten (Harvard Medical School).

But must the holidays be such a stressful time, especially for communities that were struggling long before COVID became a pandemic? Consider this. 42% of Black people in the United States had hypertension between 2015-2016 (Center for Disease Control). As of 2015, over 46% of non-Spanish speaking Black US citizens had cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association). A 2014 study of Black women in a primary care setting found that 49% had symptoms of depression, and 10% experienced suicidal thoughts (Medical News Today). 18.8% of African Americans fell below the poverty line in 2019 (Poverty Talk). And all of these stats were taken before the coronavirus pandemic, and the economic crisis of 2020 even took place.

Self-care and rest are two means of self-motivated wellness that have not been widely encouraged in the Black community until recently. For much of my childhood years, I would hear that “If you had time to rest, you had time to work,” or other means of conflating rest with laziness. @thenapministry is an IG account that is changing the narrative of rest and recharge for Black people, specifically Black women, since we are afflicted with the “strong Black woman” stereotype (Healthline). Therapy is another form of self-care that has been highly stigmatized within the Black community. The account @decolonizingtherapy is fighting back to get more BIPOCs talking about mental health without focusing on the white perspective. @soyouwanttotalkabout is my means of staying up-to-date with what is happening in the world and the BLM movement without the risk of accidentally traumatizing myself with the mass of trauma porn on major news cycles. The end of this calendar year should be about growth, reflection and unashamed restfulness, especially for my fellow BIPOCs.

This November, I asked my grandmother, a 76-year old Black Jamaican woman: if she weren’t sick and if the world weren’t sick, what would she want to do with her life? I was expecting her to say that she would go on vacation or start baking with her grandkids or visit an old friend in Sedbergh, but instead, she replied, “I want to work again. It’s what I do best.” It can be difficult for all of us in the Black community to realize that we are more than what we produce when the world keeps telling us otherwise. If we do not know our worth, we will unintentionally pass these pains down to the next generation. Remember that you are not defined by your labor or what that labor can buy this holiday season.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

You are not defined by your labor or what that labor can buy.
Our oppressive systems instill in Black communities that if we are not working until we drop (and show proof of that labor), we are worth less than others.
The Black community’s intergenerational trauma and stress have direct links to serious health concerns that can be exacerbated during the holiday season. 42% of all Black US citizens between 2015 and 2016 had hypertension, and 1 in 2 Black women in primary caregiver roles had symptoms of depression. These numbers have undoubtedly grown during the pandemic.
This year has been particularly hard, so take a break without apologizing for it.

RELATED ISSUES

8/3/2020 | Stay awake.

10/14/2020 | Make the outdoors more equitable.

9/11/2020 | Protect Black women.

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