Expert Advice

By Dr. Katrina Marie Overby

I knew I’d be warmly greeted by the faces of my community. They would ask, “How are you doing?”—something I desperately needed that morning, as did many others on the call.

Easton’s Nook, a retreat space for artists and writers, has been hosting virtual Saturday morning writing sessions since the pandemic began. Founded by two Black sisters, Jacquie and Nadine, their mission is to create space for Black writers and artists, rooted in community care and love. This is one example of how I’ve personally benefited from digital and virtual community care. It shows how, even in an evolving digital landscape, community care can still thrive when in-person gatherings aren’t always possible.

My scholarship primarily focuses on Black feminist place-making, Black academic sisterhoods and Black digital cultures, exploring how Black people create and sustain connection in a world that often forces disconnection. As a Black feminist scholar and activist, I see how we’re reconnecting with ancestral practices of community care, and I hope we continue cultivating new pathways for connection in an often isolating and individualized social world.