We Quit America: Black Rest, Resistance and the Politics of Self-Determination

From DEI rollbacks to book bans, from anti-Black policies to the erasure of our history, we are witnessing a full-scale effort to dismantle the progress Black communities have fought for. And yet, as we push back, many of us are left asking: At what cost? The emotional, physical, and spiritual toll of constant resistance is real. What if rest, healing, and self-determination are not just survival tactics but the very foundation of our liberation?

Join Dr. Yanique Redwood for a necessary conversation on stepping away from extractive systems and choosing a different path. In White Women Cry and Call Me Angry, she exposes the ways white-led philanthropy weaponizes Black women’s labor while gaslighting us in the process. In We Quit America, co-authored with Ronnie Galvin, she pushes the question even further—what happens when we stop trying to fix systems built on our oppression and start prioritizing our own well-being, communities and futures? 

During this conversation moderated by CURE’s Dr. Judy Lubin, we’ll explore:

• Leaving Toxic Systems – Lessons from Yanique Redwood’s journey quitting white-led institutions and choosing a different path
• The Rest Revolution – Why prioritizing healing, joy, and ease is a political act and Why Black women are leading the charge to redefine how we fight for justice
• Retrenchment and Resilience – How to sustain racial justice work in the face of an organized backlash
• Quitting America? – What we learn when Black people leave harmful institutions—and the country itself

Held during Women’s History Month, this conversation uplifts the Black women at the forefront of a growing movement to challenge the idea that liberation must come through exhaustion. The webinar will be recorded and later featured on the Embodied Justice Podcast.