The Nap Ministry & Rest as Resistance
TikTok is often viewed as a space for trends and entertainment, yet it has become a powerful platform for Black women’s digital resistance and self-expression. This case study explores how Fractured Visibility functions in real-time—where Black women’s content is widely consumed yet systematically devalued or erased through algorithmic bias. This contradiction underscores the exploitative nature of digital spaces, where Black women's creative labor is extracted while their presence remains vulnerable to erasure.
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Case Study: @TheNapMinistry
Founded by Tricia Hersey, The Nap Ministry is a platform that reframes rest as a form of resistance, particularly for Black women who have historically been subjected to overwork and labor exploitation. Through social media, public discourse, and advocacy, Hersey challenges the pervasive narrative that equates productivity with worth. She positions rest as a radical and necessary act, rather than a luxury, pushing back against systemic expectations that devalue Black women’s time and well-being.
Cultural Impact: The Nap Ministry’s message has gained widespread traction, with Hersey’s content frequently going viral. Her approach has sparked national conversations about burnout, capitalism, and the racialized history of labor extraction. Through digital engagement, she has cultivated a growing community that embraces rest as a tool for personal and collective liberation.
Advocacy Through Creativity: Hersey uses creative storytelling, digital media, and public speaking to expose the racial and economic structures that demand constant productivity. The Nap Ministry encourages Black women to reclaim their time, reject hustle culture, and establish boundaries around labor and rest. Through workshops and online engagement, Hersey has created a digital sanctuary where Black women can reimagine rest as an essential component of their well-being.
Lessons Learned
Digital Sanctuary as a Site of Healing: The Nap Ministry illustrates how social media can serve as a space for collective healing, allowing Black women to connect, affirm each other’s need for rest, and challenge cultural narratives that glorify exhaustion. The movement demonstrates that digital platforms, when used intentionally, can be a space for advocacy and restoration.
Algorithmic Erasure: While The Nap Ministry has gained significant visibility, Black women on social media, including Hersey, have spoken about content suppression and algorithmic bias. This reflects the broader pattern of Fractured Visibility—where Black women's contributions are both amplified and undermined by digital platforms. As discussions around digital sanctuary spaces evolve, the risk of content suppression remains a key concern.
Protecting Digital Intellectual Labor: Hersey’s work has been widely referenced and, at times, co-opted by individuals and organizations that fail to credit her contributions. This highlights the broader issue of Black women’s cultural labor being extracted for profit without recognition. The Nap Ministry’s work underscores the importance of crediting and compensating Black women for their intellectual contributions, ensuring that their work is not diluted or repackaged without acknowledgment.
"Rest is a form of resistance because it pushes back and disrupts white supremacy and capitalism." — Tricia Hersey, The Nap Ministry
The Nap Ministry has redefined rest as a revolutionary act, challenging the grind culture that disproportionately exploits Black women’s labor. Through digital sanctuary spaces, their work reclaims time, offering Black women permission to disengage from productivity-driven oppression and reconnect with themselves. Their impact goes beyond rest—it is a radical movement for liberation.
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