Self-care for Black girls and women isn’t always spa days and “treat yourself” energy. Sometimes it’s simply choosing rest when you’re tired, relearning how to take up space, or giving yourself permission not to be the strong one for a minute. These books—all written by Black women—hold space for the soft seasons, the rebuilding seasons, and the “I’m figuring it out” seasons.
Whether you’re trying to protect your peace, unlearn survival mode, or just feel more like yourself again, this roundup centers care that reflects us, speaks like us, and was created with us in mind.
Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser & Robyn Smith
If you’ve been craving unworked-for softness, this graphic novel feels like a breath of fresh air. It follows four Black women through friendship, vulnerability, and the small, human rituals—like wash day—that remind us we’re more than the pressure to always be “on.” It’s a cozy love letter to everyday care.
So Much To Unlearn by Maui the Writer
Maui gently walks readers through what it means to unravel the self built around survival and slowly return to the self built for joy. It’s an intentional and spiritually grounding guide—perfect if you’re in your becoming era and learning to choose yourself in a new way.
All The Black Girls Are Activists by EbonyJanice Moore
Part manifesto, part reclamation, Moore challenges the idea that activism must look like exhaustion or constant sacrifice. Instead, she frames rest, softness, pleasure, and self-trust as valid forms of resistance. If you’ve ever struggled with feeling like you have to “earn” your joy, this book speaks directly to your spirit.
Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem by bell hooks
hooks goes deep—this is not surface-level self-care, but soul work. She explores how generational wounds, racism, and emotional suppression shape our relationship with worthiness, and what healing looks like beyond performance. It’s for the woman ready to do the internal repair work no one can see.
The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by Dr. Rheeda Walker
Pick up this book when going to therapy isn’t enough and you’re looking for the language to actually describe what you’ve been carrying. Dr. Walker grounds mental health in a cultural context, giving Black women tools that feel realistic and actionable, not theoretical.
To My Sisters by Courtney Daniella Boateng & Renée Kapuku
Healing doesn’t always happen alone—sometimes it happens in the presence of women who see you fully. To My Sisters centers friendship as a form of care, reminding us that community is not just support, but safety. Ideal for the woman craving softness through connection and sisterhood.
The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
Taylor redefines self-love as self-liberation—not just a feel-good buzzword, but the radical practice of allowing your body to exist without apology, comparison, or shrinking. If you’re relearning what it means to feel at home in your own reflection, this book is a grounding and necessary return to self.