In the latest episode of 6.5 Minutes With…C21, Desiree McCray, a womanist scholar, explores the intersections of race, gender, class, and Black religion and culture. She advocates for “slow knowing” and “slow care” in education, public theology, and activism, emphasizing intentionality, community, and radical empathy.
McCray describes slow knowing as a radical act of resistance against the frantic pace of modern life, promoting rest and mindful engagement. Slow care, she explains, involves resisting the urge to overload students with information, instead fostering an inclusive space for critical engagement.
She highlights the value of patient observation, deep listening, and embracing unanswered questions in her scholarly practice. In her teaching, she incorporates journaling, guided meditation, and moments of silence to encourage reflection and personal connection to learning.
In public theology, McCray resists the pressure to have all the answers, embracing humility and openness as essential to meaningful discourse.
Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
For further exploration of topics covered in this podcast episode, McCray recommends two works by Tricia Hersey.
In Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, Hersey challenges grind culture, advocating for rest as a form of radical resistance, particularly for Black communities. She redefines rest as a reclaiming of time, dignity, and liberation, emphasizing that slowing down disrupts capitalism’s demands and fosters healing, creativity, and collective well-being.
We Will Rest!: The Art of Escape by Tricia Hersey
Inspired by hymnals and abolitionist pamphlets, this work offers a sacred guide to self-care, refusal, and transformative escape. Blending poetry, storytelling, and art, Hersey subverts capitalism’s demand for productivity, advocating rest as liberation.