#RestIsResistance is a Black liberation and anti-capitalism movement founded by Tricia Hersey (The Nap Ministry) framing rest as radical resistance to white supremacy, capitalism, and grind culture that exploit Black bodies.

Origins: The Nap Ministry (2016)

Tricia Hersey, Atlanta-based performance artist and theologian, founded The Nap Ministry in 2016, hosting public “nap experiences” (collective rest spaces) and preaching rest as spiritual practice and political resistance.

Core thesis: Grind culture, hustle mentality, and productivity worship are rooted in slavery and capitalism—rest is liberation.

Theological & Historical Framing

Slavery connection:

• Enslaved people forced to produce value through labor
• Rest denied, sleep deprivation as control
• Capitalism inherited this logic (extracting maximum labor)

Sabbath: Biblical rest as divine right, reclaiming sacred time

Hersey’s message: “We will not be complicit in our own oppression by internalizing capitalism.”

Social Media Explosion (2019-2023)

Instagram/TikTok content:

• Nap photos as protest: Resting Black bodies in public spaces
• “Grind culture is toxic”: Rejecting Gary Vee/Elon Musk hustle porn
• “Capitalism wants you tired”: Systemic critique
• “Rest is productive”: Redefining value beyond output

#RestIsResistance reached 5+ million posts by 2021.

Key Concepts

Rest as reparations: Black people deserve rest after centuries of forced labor

Grind culture critique: Hustle mentality = internalized capitalism, especially harmful to BIPOC communities

Naps as subversive: Sleeping in public (parks, museums) reclaims space

Sacred rest: Rest as spiritual practice, not just physical recovery

Pandemic Amplification (2020-2021)

COVID-19 “essential worker” designation disproportionately affected Black/brown workers (grocery, delivery, healthcare), intensifying Hersey’s message:

• “You are not essential, you are sacrificial”
• Burnout as systemic violence
• Permission to rest despite capitalism’s demands

Criticism

Privilege: Some argue rest requires financial security (can’t afford to rest when bills unpaid)

Oversimplification: Not all productivity = capitalist exploitation (e.g., creative work, community care)

Appropriation: White wellness influencers co-opt “rest is resistance” without anti-capitalist politics

Intersection with Disability Justice

Disability activists similarly advocate:

• Rest as access need (not laziness)
• Productivity ≠ worth
• Chronic illness = forced rest (capitalism’s ableism)

Corporate Co-optation

Wellness brands began using “rest is resistance” to sell:

• Sleep supplements
• Luxury pajamas
• “Self-care Sundays”

Critique: Commodifying rest maintains capitalism (buying products to rest).

Practical Applications

Individual:

• Napping without guilt
• Saying no to overwork
• Prioritizing sleep over hustle

Collective:

• Mutual aid (sharing resources so others can rest)
• Labor organizing (sick leave, vacation, 4-day workweeks)
• Community rest spaces (free, accessible)

Tricia Hersey’s Work

• The Nap Ministry: Instagram @TheNapMinistry (400K+ followers)
• Book: Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto (2022)
• Public installations: Nap experiences in museums, parks
• Speaking: TED talks, college campuses

Further Reading

• Rest is Resistance (Tricia Hersey, 2022)
• Laziness Does Not Exist (Devon Price, 2021)
• How to Do Nothing (Jenny Odell, 2019)

Related hashtags: #NapMinistry #AntiHustle #RestIsProductors #SleepIsACivilRight #BlackLiberation