Tricia Hersey

Tricia Hersey is an American author, artist, and community organiser who is the founder of The Nap Ministry, a movement that examines rest as a form of resistance and racial justice. She holds a Master of Divinity from Emory University and has been an activist, performance artist, and community builder in Atlanta, Georgia. Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto argues that the culture of grinding productivity and sleep deprivation is rooted in white supremacy and capitalism, and that rest — particularly for Black people and other marginalised communities — is a radical act of liberation. The book combines theology, cultural criticism, personal narrative, and political activism to make the case that our exhaustion is not a personal failing but a systemic problem, and that reclaiming rest is an act of resistance. Her audiobooks and books offer listeners and readers a powerful, liberating argument for slowing down in a world that profits from our exhaustion — a manifesto that reframes rest as a political act and a path to healing.