The struggles of the Black Diaspora, of my ancestors, are a part of my being that I am obligated to treat with immense care. With this in mind, I often wonder how they kept going. How are we to continue fighting, resisting, and surviving in systems not meant to sustain us? How can we feel safe, at ease, and complete in our own minds and bodies?

Throughout personal and academic experiences in college, I have found an answer through Black Wellness. In addition to their unwavering resilience, our ancestors survived and thrived because they found joy, solace, and strength however they could. We will do the same.

This research explores Black Wellness—defined as the cultivation of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing—as a multifaceted, powerful avenue for liberation and the longevity of the African Diaspora. I construct this research as a Black Queer community member for the healing of all my ancestors and descendants. I do this work as an ode to marginalized communities whose survival relies on our communal and generational wellbeing. That we may heal, rest, relax, and rejoice in our pasts, presents, and futures.