Disillusioned by the Election, Some Black Women Are Deciding to Rest
Originally published by Katie Mogg for the New York Times
Cheri Hall woke up hours before dawn the morning after Election Day and checked her phone anxiously for results. A news notification hinting that former President Donald J. Trump had defeated Vice President Kamala Harris caused her to gasp and grab her chest.
“I felt it in my entire body,” said Ms. Hall, 49, who is a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant in Washington, D.C. “I was heartbroken.”
Black women voters supported Ms. Harris in overwhelming numbers — upward of 90 percent cast ballots for her, according to some exit polls. And her loss, as the first Black woman presidential nominee, left supporters such as Ms. Hall feeling disillusioned. On social media, under hashtags like #blackwomenrest and #restera, some women have emphasized that after turning out strong for Ms. Harris, they feel unappreciated and defeated, and are ready to bow out of the political and culture wars, for now, to focus on their personal well-being.