Today, dark-skinned Black women like me resist capitalism and complex work cultures by stepping back and simply resting. Due to social media’s cultural shift and the newly revealed comfort of Black women as they take up space, ‘living lavishly’ has perhaps become a norm or a way of living for many.

For me, living lavishly entails carrying myself beyond capitalist and social norms that expect me to compete with others under a hustle culture and willingly taking the time to nurture myself whenever I need to reset. From reading myself to sleep and coddling my plants to travelling or writing poetry under palm trees, it’s the ability to control and define my time. 

Yet, a tsunami of commentary seems to emerge when Black women experience anything close to comfort or leisure. It is as if there is a need to correct Black women and keep them grounded, revealing society’s inclination to partake in the mistreatment of Black women.