Some of us did not die

The title of June Jordan’s essay collection – Some of us did not die – can sum up the miracle that is our daily survival. We continue to live in spite of a deeply embedded cultural hostility that threatens our emotional, mental and physical well-being. Still, though we did not die, many of us are sick. Women, and particularly women of color, must commit to self-care as a strategy of defense against systemic forces designed to undermine our sense of self and, ultimately, to destroy us. We cannot effectively resist our individual and collective oppression when we are physically, spiritually and emotionally spent. It is not always enough to not die. We deserve more. If we give up, stop trying, use up all our energy, burnout and stop caring, we certainly won’t get it because we won’t be up for the fight.