My Interview with the Black Minimalists

When I wrote my 21Ninety piece on Black Women Minimalists I currently follow, I thought I was just sharing some awesome women who I was inspired by on this minimalism journey.

I had no idea I was going to be embraced with open arms into such a vibrant and happy community.

This week, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by one of the groups I shared, Black Minimalists. To be honest, I was shocked that I was even offered the opportunity, y'all. Here I am, just enamored by this community and sharing how they have blessed and educated me, and Im offered a spot.

Cue the happy twerk.

There were some pretty raw parts of the interview, particularly around my start in simplistic living. I have shared my journey here through separation, divorce, miscarriage and my thrift shopping hobby; and how all of those elements led to my desire to declutter both my space and my emotions.

For those who are still wondering why we even need a Black Minimalist site or community, I challenge you to both look at the minimalism landscape in general and see if you see many people of color. I would also challenge you to read some of the stories of these minimalists and compare them with the typical stories from the general minimalist community, and I guarantee that you will notice more depth, more connectedness, more passion, and more reasons why people should be minimalist in the Black Minimalism community than the usual aesthetics reasons you find in the community as a whole.

I personally love the connectedness of being both Black and Minimalist. As I say in the interview, "Being a Black Minimalist means tapping back to what our ancestors taught us. We are descendants of people who came from a continent of abundance. And when you live in abundance, there was no need for greed or selfishness.

Generations later, so many of us are rejecting the notion of “the American Dream” being the big house, 4 cars, lots of stuff and extravagance. More of us are finding the extravagance of a debt free life, or financial responsibility, of inner peace and family. And its a beautiful thing."

Check out my full interview as well as helpful and insightful articles from other minimalists of color here.