21-Day Racial Equity Activism Self-Care Challenge©
Curated by Eddie Moore, Jr., Debby Irving, Tilda Kapuya, Director of Equity & Community at San Francisco University High School, and June Christian.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is an act of political Warfare.” –Audre Lorde
When white supremacy wears us down to the point of ineffectiveness, white supremacy wins. Because white supremacy thrives when we deny humanity, ours and others’, tending to our human needs is vital. And, using the oxygen mask on the airplane analogy, we can hardly care for our collective humanity if we don’t first pay attention to our own. Joy, positive energy, clarity, deep relationships, and resilience not only feel good, they are powerful forms of resistance. Though it can feel counterintuitive to take time for self-care when the world around us is in crisis and many of us have zero time for self-care, understanding and practicing self-care is not only “allowed,” it is required of us. Activism is a marathon, not a sprint. We hope the below resources will help you stay physically and spiritually nourished so you can step up and stay in the intergenerational struggle for liberation.
How does one use this document? Decide how much time you have to spend on this challenge daily, and do as much as you can each day. There are more resources here than you probably have time for. The important thing is that you do some work every day for 21 days. That’s how we build sustained habits.
HELP! I”m too burned out to do this plan!
Great that you’re noticing your own limitations. Start with the “TAKE A BREATH” items below for immediate relief.
Get Started
Commit. Choose an Activity. Complete. Reflect. Repeat.
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Individuals
Jump right in! You pick your start day and commit to one of the 9 action categories below on each of those days… yes, it is that simple to get started! The hope is that you will change things up based on your schedule, commitment, and understanding, so you will be able to attempt all activity types.
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Groups or Organizations
Use our Copyright and Recognition Page to get started on the planning and advertising, so your group is cohesive in your approach to the 21-Day Action Plan. Use our Facebook page or Prohabits to stay engaged with each other. As a group you can select which action type and resource to complete as a group or have individuals select for themselves. We have found engagement occurs either way. It is a good idea to plan a pre and post survey and discussion as a group to assess skills building and which challenge you will do next!
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Adapters
We encourage organizations to make the challenge fit their audience. Using the structure, intent, and resources within the 21-Day Action Plans, you can adjust daily design, prompts, or how you choose to reflect and engage as a group. Click HERE for adaptation ideas and examples of how communities are adapting the challenge to meet their specific social justice focus. Remember the required recognition. Reach out to us with your adaptations, so we can share with others.
Choose One Activity Per Day
To further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.
This challenge called for different activities that required you to take care of you. Breathing re-centers you. It is a practice that only requires you to stop and breathe!
photo credit: Madison Lavern on Unsplash
- You Feel Like Shit—An Interactive Self-Care Guide
- Auto-Cuidado/Cuidado Colectivo (ESPAÑOL) || Self-Care/Collective Care (ENGLISH)
- Guided Meditation for Activists
- Pause: 5-minute meditations for activists
- Liberate app: meditations for Black, Indigenous, People of Color communities.
- Calm app: for less stress, better sleep
#MooreSelfCare #MooreSelfLove
photo credit: Sean Stratton on Unsplash
- Healing Resources for BIPOC Organizers & Allies Taking Action for Black Lives
- Self-Care and Systemic Injustice by Nikkia Young, PhD
- Decolonizing Therapy (on Instagram)
- Re-becoming Human
- Rest for Resistance (by QTPOC Mental Health)
- The Body is Not an Apology: “Radical Self-Love for Everybody and Every Body.”
- So You Want to Be a White Ally: Healing from White Supremacy
Read: Encounter new writers and ideas from a range of media sources.
ARTICLES
- Beginner’s Guide to Self-Care For Activists | Your Dream Blog
- Self-care and prevention of burnout among activists – tools for everyday life
- Tips for Self-Care as an Activist (trigger warning: includes overwhelmed crying white woman photo)
- Self Care — POC Online Classroom
- 13 Self-Care Tips For Black People Who Are Feeling Overwhelmed Right Now
BOOKS
- The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love, by Sonya Renee Taylor
- In It For the Long Haul: Overcoming Burnout and Passion Fatigue as Social Justice Change Agents, by Kathy Obear
- My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Listen in on the kinds of open, honest conversations that too many of us avoid having.
- On Being podcast (especially this episode with Resmaa Menakem)
- Irresistible podcast (formerly known as Healing Justice)
- Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Race, Gender, and Social Justice (Omkari Williams’ podcast)
- Mental Health in Color podcast
- The SafeWordSociety podcast: SafeWordSociety is heralded for archiving the authentic narratives of QTPOC+ as a social justice initiative for public broadcasting and social networks…The hosts’ mission is to create a safe space for versatility and self-definition while uplifting the stories of those that are too often muted.
- Norma Johnson’s poem “I Didn’t Tell You” (with ASL interpretation)
Watch and learn. We've offered everything from short videos to full-length films.
- Wake Up with Mindful Activism
- The Missing Ingredient in Self Care
- The Activists Guide to Self Care (trigger warning: great info, very white voice)
Notice: Why didn’t I see this sooner? It’s easy to overlook what we’re not looking for.
In this challenge, you are the subject that is being noticed. Check in with you!
- Are you experiencing Compassion Fatigue?
- Are you experiencing activism burnout?
- Racism, whiteness, and burnout in antiracism movements: How white racial justice activists elevate burnout in racial justice activists of color in the United States
- What are your signs of burnout?
- What are your signs that your energy is coming back?
- What brings you energy? What drains it?
- What makes it hard for you to say No?
- It Turns Out Laughing Can Help Boost Your Mental Health, Immunity, and More.
- Notice: What makes you laugh?
- 32 Journal Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Care
Follow Racial Justice activists, educators, organizations, and movements on social media.
Consider connecting with any of the people you learn about in the above resources. Here are more ideas to widen your circle of who you follow. Pro Tip: check out who these organizations follow, quote, repost, and retweet to find more people to follow.
- Melanin base camp for POC who love, or aspire to love, outdoor adventure
- 44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country
- Black Emotional And Mental Health Collective (BEAM) (offers free events/workshops, and other self-care resources)
- The Trevor Project
Create a Soundtrack4Justice playlist that fuels you and/or can serve as a conversation starter with people of all ages.
Let the music move you!
You can find ours on Youtube, Apple Music, or see individual songs below:
- Andra Day, Rise Up
- Angie Stone, Brotha
- Bob Marley, Get Up, Stand Up
- Bob Marley, Three Little Birds
- Bob Marley & The Wailers, Small Axe
- Buffy Sainte-Marie, Up Where We Belong
- Somos Asiaticos, (We are Asians), We are the Children
- Colbie Cailat, Try
- Danay Suárez, Flores
- Indie Arie, Beautiful Day
- James Brown, Say It Loud
- Kirk Franklin, I Smile
- Lalah Hathaway, Breathe
- Lizzo, Good As Hell
- Pharrell Williams, Happy
- Rachel Platten, Fight Song
- Sam Cooke, A Change is Gonna Come
- Sounds Of Blackness, Hold On (Change Is Comin’)
- Stevie Wonder, Love’s In Need Of Love Today
- Toby Mac & Sarah Reeves, Scars (Come With Livin’)
- Tracy Chapman, Talkin’ About A Revolution (Official Music Video)
- Whitney Houston, I’m Every Woman

Guidelines:
If you are using, revising or editing the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge © content created by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. and his team at The Privilege Institute, giving credit to the creators is required. Remember, now more than ever, you/your organization must always give credit for the social justice tools/ideas created by BIPOC folks doing and leading Antiracist work. We’ve made it easy to give the proper recognition to be used on websites, social media sites, in email communication, during interviews and/or infomercials. Click HERE for our copyright information and tools to incorporate the required recognition in your plan. We are committed to offering the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge © free of charge. We are constantly enhancing the materials, monitoring social media pages, responding to inquiries/questions, and Moore.