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Radical Care: Mental Health, Self-Care, and the Power of Community

In a world that pushes constant hustle, taking care of yourself is a radical act. Mental health isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. And building community isn’t optional—it’s how we survive.

Fred Hampton said it best: “We’re going to fight with solidarity.” That solidarity must start with how we care for ourselves and one another.

Self-Care Is Survival

Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s a way to stay in the fight. Setting boundaries, resting, asking for help—these aren’t signs of weakness. They’re signs of wisdom.

Angela Davis reminds us, “Anyone who is interested in making change in the world also has to learn how to take care of herself, himself, their selves.” Burnout doesn’t build movements. Well-being does.

Mental Health Is a Collective Issue

Mental health needs regular care, not just crisis intervention. Journaling, therapy, meditation, creativity—these small acts build resilience. And when you’re stronger, your community is stronger.

Malcolm X said, “When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘we,’ even illness becomes wellness.” Healing yourself helps heal your people.

Community Is Medicine

Isolation weakens. Community strengthens. It offers perspective when yours feels narrow, hope when yours runs low. It reminds you that your fight is not yours alone.

Fred Hampton’s words echo here too: “You can jail a revolutionary, but you can’t jail the revolution.” That revolution is fueled by community care—lifting each other up when the weight gets too heavy.

You Are Not Alone

Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you understand the real work: survival is collective. Thriving is collective. Liberation is collective.

Final Thought

Self-care, mental health, and community are not side quests. They are the work. Every act of care—whether for yourself or for your neighbor—builds the world we’re dreaming of.

Rest. Heal. Connect. Then rise together.

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