There are multiple ways to gain knowledge about wellness and reading is one of them. Although the world has evolved so much that learning can take place on a range of multimedia platforms such as video, podcasts, and audio books, physical books are still valuable. That said, it’s National Book Lovers Day, and it’s a great time to shed light on books in the wellness space. Many Black female authors are putting in work to educate people about ways to improve their health mentally, physically and emotionally.
If you’re a bookworm, gather here as we share a list of wellness books you should consider adding to your shelf.
Sisterhood Heals
Friendship is a core part of wellness and there’s plenty of research to back it. Echoing facts we may or may not already know, having solid friends can help boost happiness, reduce stress, and minimize risk factors for poorer long-term health. That’s why the book Sisterhood Heals by Joy Harden is a good read for every woman to add to her collection.
The book is about how Black women can grow and maintain healthy, wholesome and fulfilling relationships. Harden is qualified to talk about this topic as she has been doing work around helping Black women heal as a collective for more than two decades. She also hosts the Therapy For Black Girls podcast.
My Grandmother’s Hands
Want to learn more about how racism affects you? My Grandmother’s Hands is a good starting point. In Resmaa Menakem’s masterpiece, focuses on how racism does damage to us physically and mentally.
“The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze, and it endures the trauma inflicted by the ills that plague society,” per the synopsis. “Menakem argues this destruction will continue until Americans learn to heal the generational anguish of white supremacy, which is deeply embedded in all our bodies. Our collective agony doesn’t just affect African Americans. White Americans suffer their own secondary trauma as well. So do blue Americans—our police.”
Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
If you want to do a deep dive into pleasure, consider this New York Times best seller by Adrienne Maree Brown. Pleasure Activism is a compilation of essays and interviews that explore how to navigate sex and connection. Pleasure Activism also builds on Audre Lorde’s The Uses of the Erotic as Power, for anyone who’s a fan.
All About Love
bell hooks is a household name when it comes to Back female authors. Her best-selling book All About Love is the first volume in her “Love Song to the Nation” trilogy. The book attempts to define love and pave a path to familial, friend, and romantic love in our modern day society.
Hooks also explains that the key to us living well and living in love as individuals and as a society is in community versus polarization.
A Renaissance of Our Own
As humans, we’re constantly evolving and growing, but sometimes that process can be muddy.
Rachel Cargle’s A Renaissance of Our Own is a manifesto for people who want to evolve in a way that facilitates them living the life of their dreams. Cargle is a powerhouse in the fields of feminism and racial justice. Throughout the book, the activist, philanthropist, and CEO takes readers on a journey to how she built her ideal life and provides prompts and tools for how you can do the same.
Black Health
We all know physical wealth is a key part of wellness and the more we know the better we can care for ourselves. Author Keisha Ray attempts to answer the question of why Black Americans are said to have worse health than White Americans and debunk the myth that we’re more susceptible to inheriting diseases.
By reading Black Health, you can learn how systemic racism, oppression, and White supremacy perpetuate health inequalities and what you can do to change the narrative.
The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health
Psychologist and African American mental health expert Rheeda Walker explores the mental health crisis in the Black community in her book The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health. Some themes in the book include how to combat stigma, identify mental illnesses, create emotional wellness and access quality care in spite of racism within the healthcare system.