Summary

After Obama’s term ended, Brittany checked into an Arizona resort to reflect and contemplate her options. She was no longer sure what the future of clemency would look like and what her role would be. By taking a break, she hoped to find ‘self-care’ in the traditional sense, not the way that self-care is described in modern culture (as an escape or reward) but as a means of replenishing herself to continue fighting for justice after the intensity of the past eight years. Back home, she reflected on one of the core lessons from her journey – that mass incarceration was tied to the violent history of racism in America, and that the draconian drug laws were only one manifestation of a historical system of oppression against Black people. Uncertain of what to do next, she felt drained and emotionally vulnerable...