Vashti Harrison
The creator of Big and Little Leaders, making generous space for children to see possibility.
Meet the author & illustrator
Rest, joy, and Black women’s stories
Murmurs of rest.
Murmurs of rest.
At your own pace.
Original reflections, Black women’s stories, and a quiet place to set down the day.
Read for a minute Celebrate a win
You can set something down, too.
AT YOUR OWN PACE
A pause for busy minds.
Neurodivergent minds welcome. Nothing to finish.
A short sound bath. Press play when you’re ready; the sound stays off until you choose it.
Soft words. Small wonders.
One-minute readings.
A soft Saturday
Softness needs no occasion.
A little sweetness before the long list.
Under one minute · illustrated reflectionEven the moon goes quiet.
Hecate at the threshold. The list in a drawer. A moment that belongs to you.
A moonlit reflectionTonight, I belong to myself.
For the woman everyone calls strong, and the evening she lets herself be held.
A softer eveningYou can leave the day unfinished.
The last task can wait. A few words for putting the day down.
Joy for its own sakeA little joy, without a caption.
A good moment can belong to you without becoming something to share.
Everyday wins
Small wins count.
You set a boundary without writing a whole essay to explain it.
This reflection stays on this page while it is open; it is not submitted or shared.
More stories to discover: Veronica N. Chapman’s Black Baby Books helps families find books with Black characters.
Keep a little room for rest
Support Rest.
Help fund the writing and art you find here.
Support RestChoose your amount at checkout. Support goes directly to the creator. This is a voluntary tip, not a charitable donation or a purchase of a product or service.
More from the collection
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The reading that stays with us
Read Tricia Hersey.
Tricia Hersey’s The Nap Ministry explores rest, liberation and community care. Spend time with her work, then return to your own evening.
Our Hecate and moon reflections are original; the linked work belongs to its creators.
Women shining
Black women creating.
Tabitha Brown + Gina Woods
The women behind Donna’s Recipe, a Black-founded hair-care brand with warmth and personality.
Meet the foundersOmisade Burney-Scott
Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause centers Black voices and the stories we deserve to hear about growing older.
Explore the conversationsFor our little readers
Books for young readers.
Little Leaders
Vashti Harrison’s portraits of trailblazing Black women. A shelf full of possibility.
Discover the bookNikki Giovanni’s children’s poetry
Explore I Am Loved, Hip Hop Speaks to Children and a rich world of rhythm, tenderness and imagination.
Browse the author’s booksCarlotta Penn · Daydreamers Press
A children’s publisher owned by a Black woman making room for imagination, representation and joy.
Explore the booksBody, care & becoming
Care & becoming.
Perimenopause, out loud
Stories, community and reproductive-justice perspectives from Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause.
Meet the communityA Black-founded vitamin brand
Meet Necole Kane, founder of My Happy Flo, and learn about the brand’s women’s wellness focus.
Read the founder’s storyBrand spotlight, not a treatment recommendation. Ask a clinician or pharmacist about ingredients and interactions before starting a supplement.
Black Girl Vitamins
A vitamin brand whose founders identify the business as 100% Black-owned. Explore its story and ingredient information.
Meet the brandAn editorial introduction, not a recommendation to treat symptoms. Manufacturing ownership is not verified.
Black-created stories and Black-founded brands are identified individually. Manufacturing location and current ownership are not assumed.
Women shining
Community & connection.
BLACK GIRLS ROCK!
Beverly Bond’s platform celebrates Black women’s creativity, leadership and achievement.
Meet the movementGirlTREK
A movement founded by Black women making space for walking, sisterhood and connection.
Find the communityThe reading room
Find your next good read.
Black women’s books, children’s stories, creative communities and voices shaping change.
Explore the reading room