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You might be triggered by the term “soft life,” but author Rachel Cargle breaks down why Black women deserve the soft life the most.
The term “soft girl era” has been trending all over social media for the past couple of months, but what exactly does it mean? Rachel Cargle, activist and author of “A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining,” joins Eboni K. Williams to talk about the “soft life” and why that term might be triggering for Black women.
The “soft life” concept came out of the Nigerian influencer community. Influencers pushed back against the cost-of-living crisis there by challenging followers to find leisure in the day-to-day, and the idea caught fire on social media and spread from there.
Rachel Cargle defines “soft life” as “an invitation to consider how we can center our wellness and go away from the edge that life has built us in many spaces.”
But how does a “soft life” square with the idea that Black women are usually known to be “ultra-strong” and are often asked to self-sacrifice? Although the term “soft girl era” might feel like it goes against the hyper-focused, type-A Black women that are all about career advancement, Cargle says to reconsider what the term “soft” means. “Soft” doesn’t mean lazy; Cargle says it really means being thoughtful and considering what you have the capacity for. How can you offer yourself a softness, do exactly what you want and show up in the world in a way that feels true and authentic?
Learn more about Black women and the “soft girl era” from the clip above, and tune into theGrio with Eboni K. Williams every weeknight at 6 pm ET on theGrio cable channel.