When we think of self care, it is often marketed as expensive, individualistic, and inaccessible for certain communities. For the girls of color we serve at Powerful Voices, self care is not always a priority when they are tending to their families’ immediate basic needs. Powerful Voices believes that self care is for everyone and necessary. It is a right.
“In a real sense all life is interrelated. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be.”
Here, Dr. MLK speaks about our responsibility to one another. And how that means that we need to take care of ourselves intentionally. In memory of Dr. King, we are throwing an enriching self care day where volunteers are able to contribute to genuine and collective self care at different levels. Revolutionary Self Care Day - for girls* and women of color (WOC), by girls* and WOC - is a free day for our community to pamper itself.
Women stylists of color will volunteer their time to care for fellow young girls and WOC. We ask them to offer their skills towards haircuts, styling, maintenance, makeup tutorials, and nail art, and also to lead fun self-care activities like making bath bombs. Our Self Care Station will be open, and young folks can "shop" through free, donated hygiene products, make up, clothing, shoes, accessories, and more. This gives opportunities for others to intentionally donate their resources; ranging from clothes to hygiene products for the Self Care Station, food for attendees, or in setting up or tearing down the space.
VOLUNTEER ASKS
- Womxn of color who specialize or enjoy doing any of the following things (we will not be able to provide supplies): hair (esp. black hair) (3 folks), nails (3 folks), makeup (3 folks)
- Womxn of color who would like to lead a self-care activity that they would create (5 folks)
- General volunteers: set up, take down, food prep, registration, Self Care Station maintenance, runner, etc. (3-5 folks)