Home is Where the Heart Is: Why Black Women Need a Sanctuary

Written By: Jarius Edens

Safety and comfort are two elements of life we deserve. 

Quote simply, it is what puts our minds at ease and our hearts at rest. It can come from the warm cup of tea we drink or the soft blanket we snuggle under after a long day out in the world. As Black women, especially, we need and deserve the safety and comfort that comes from having our own sanctuaries. That begs the question: “Are Black women safe?” Do we truly have a place to rest and relax – a place where we can finally take off our capes (if only for a few hours) and just be at peace with ourselves.

Amid remote work environments, virtual learning and online meetings, as Black women, we are still refining and redefining the space we occupy. We still experience the daily and very real stress that comes from commanding and demanding respect. We still must fight to protect our own, hold our own and build our own —often while standing on our own. No doubt about it, we all need a sanctuary and every true Queen deserves one. Here are six MORE reasons you, Queen, need to find your sanctuary and zealously protect it.

1. Your body needs a place to let go and let your guard down.
2. Your mind needs respite from the constant filtering and code switching.
3. Your heart yearns for a place to open up and release what's inside.
4. Your spirit deserves a place to seek refuge.
5. Your soul craves a place to recharge.
6. Your being wants a sanctuary to come home to. Have you created your sanctuary — a place where your soul can rest? If not, what are you waiting for?