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BLACK HISTORY + SELF CARE
What Rosa Parks' Yoga Practice Teaches Us About Black Joy and Pain
Self-care is more than necessary — it’s revolutionary
When you think about Rosa Parks, you likely envision her sitting in the whites-only section of a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. After a long day of working as a seamstress in December of 1955, Parks, a Black woman, refused to move to the back of the bus. Even after two police officers told Parks that sitting in this section was against the law, she remained seated, which led to her arrest. The injustice Parks suffered became the catalyst of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, as hard-working Black people throughout the city felt a lot like Parks — tired of racist policies that routinely robbed Black people of dignity. Most Americans recognize Rosa Parks as "the first lady of civil rights" and "mother of the freedom movement." Still, fewer realize she was also a self-care advocate who regularly practiced yoga. Vibe Magazine once called Rosa Parks the unsung hero of Black Wellness because of her yoga, meditation practices, and poetic writing.
Rosa Parks' self-care routine helps to dispel the notion that Black activists must sacrifice their health and well-being to drive social change. A handwritten note Rosa Parks penciled on Ohio Black Women Leadership…
