• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Amaryllis Lopez Speaks on Radical Self Care

By Helena Chen ’24 & Nichole Jin ‘24/The Lawrence

Last month, speaker Amaryllis Lopez came to campus to hold a workshop on radical self-care in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual celebration of Latinx and Hispanic communities that takes place from Sept. 15-Oct. 15.

Camila Aguirre ’23 was one of the students who attended Lopez’s speech, which was centered around “defining self-care and how it related to Afro-feminist groups.” Towards the end, the attendees journalized and reflected on their experience, with Lopez sharing some self-care routines for “the body, the heart, the mind, and the community,” according to Aguirre.

Abigail D’Souza ’24 noted that, overall; the event was focused on “redefining self-care” as something other than just bath bombs and facemasks. “It’s about helping people avoid seeing self-care through a capitalistic lens,” she continued.

On her reason for attending the workshop, Aguirre said, “Self-care is a very important part of my life and hearing other people’s experiences with self-care would help me improve my routine.”

Her favorite part of the event was the journaling at the end, which she found relaxing and “refreshing.” Aguirre especially enjoyed the event because she typically does not have the time to journal, as she is “too busy with work.”

Another aspect of the workshop Aguirre found engaging was Lopez’s explanation on the history of radical self-care. “It was interesting to learn that [self-care] actually originated form Afro-feminist figures, because I felt like that’s something not usually talked about,” she said.

Lopez also explained self-care from a biological standpoint. “It was good to hear about the bodily aspect of self-care, because I usually just think of what is most refreshing for my mind,” Aguirre said. She was not the only student who had not frequently considered the physical and biological aspects of self-care, as she noted how “everyone was sharing with their own stories and what they had learned.”

D’Souza appreciated being able to hear about other people’s unique self-care routines, as the workshop connected radical self-care and community. On her main takeaway from the workshop, D’Souza said, “Recognizing that our body needs are important and valuable was an important truth to accept.”

For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.