Paid time off from work should be a right rather than a benefit at the whim of employers and markets. Every one of us should be able to take care of ourselves, our loved ones and our communities without working nonstop. Our paychecks and job security should not be on the line because we take time to recharge and restore, sit or lie down, or unglue ourselves from our phones and screens. 

At the same time, we know that the world doesn’t stop. Evil—and good—stay busy. So at Colorlines, which is run by a tiny staff and a few fantastic freelancers, we’ve created a compromise of sorts. We will deliver year-end perspectives but pause on most daily news. 

American capitalism eschews vacations unless you are extremely wealthy, famous or the 45th president of the United States. 

Audre Lorde, whose image we always use for break time, cut through that noise with her famous quote: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

We are not foolish enough to ignore Saint Audre. 

We wish you happy holidays, if you celebrate them. We wish you a happy new year. And, as always, we wish you peace, power and joy. —The Colorlines Team