The Meaning Behind Mindfulness: The Work of Black Studies and Beyond

Amid rising conversations about mental health in Black communities, Northwestern’s Black Studies Department is using mindfulness to ground students in both culture and care.

Photo by BLUtint Photography | Courtesy of Nicole Spigner's Website

The Black Studies department offers both undergraduate and graduate students academic programs focused on the history, culture, politics and social experiences of African Americans and people of African descent globally. More than that, it’s a space that Black students lean on for support, understanding, and community. This year, the department began hosting mindfulness events each quarter, and is expanding the initiative beyond the department through a new campus-wide program called “The Salon.”

In times of political uncertainty, division, and doubt, Black individuals may feel underrepresented, unheard and unsupported. In response, the department is providing moments of reprieve for Black students through its year-round Mindfulness Meditations. These meditations offer a safe and affirming space for Black students to connect about shared experiences and practice mindfulness as a form of healing and empowerment. In environments where Black voices are often overlooked or misunderstood, the group offers community, restoration and a sense of belonging. The Salon, which had its first gathering on Wednesday, Nov. 6, addresses “how contemplative practice might be helpful to us both inside and outside of the classroom” and allows students to connect with others interested in mindfulness across the university.

Dr. Nicole A. Spigner, an Assistant Professor of African American Studies at Northwestern University, discusses the launch of the Mindfulness Meditation program and its impact on Black students’ mental well-being. Professor Spigner said the inspiration behind the Mindfulness Program was that, “Our department felt like we were in the same boat, and we had some gatherings that really made me crave community building…That's where this program came from. It was an attempt to bring Black Studies together in a way that we don't normally.”

The first Mindfulness Meditation of the school year was Oct. 29. The intention of the meditation was to “show different versions of mindfulness in a single program,” according to Professor Spigner. Throughout the gathering, students participated in guided meditation, journaling, movement and “some very silent watching of the breath,” which she thinks is “the most basic version of these practices that anyone can do.” The impetus for the event was to get to know the Black community outside of the classroom. 

Spigner said, “We shared things and expressed ourselves in ways that, honestly, I don't think we've made a lot of room at Northwestern.”

“The Black Studies Department … We all love Black people, and have dedicated ourselves to the study of Black people not only because it helps us understand ourselves better, but it also helps us understand the world we live in, how we've gotten here. I think being in a space that both wants to connect to a community that holds these understandings and lenses of the world is different from being in a larger community with people with a whole bunch of conflicting motivations.”

In an age where BIPOC individuals are often overlooked and underrepresented, Dr. Spigner is distinguishing between two kinds of spaces—one where Blackness is centered and insular, and another where the Black Studies community is in conversation with others. “Mindfulness meditation is about getting closer to who you are, and then by virtue of the practice, especially in community, then also getting closer to the people who you identify as your community.”

A recurring  word in Dr. Spigner’s vocabulary is “community.” Mindfulness isn’t only a way to connect with yourself, but it is a way to build community. If you are interested in being a part of Dr. Spigner’s, she said to  “reach out, and come ready to be mindful.”