A new wellness series has hit Penn State with full force: Soft Space. The program, whose reach stretches beyond just the sessions, emphasizes the necessity to create environments that allow Black women to explore vulnerability, as they are typically denied opportunities to do so.
The Creative Stages
The founder and coordinator of Soft Space, Noa Diggs, expresses her desire to create the program out of the necessity to produce such an environment for her and other Black women. She built the foundations as a Community and Belonging Educator at the Center for Social Change and Belonging in May 2025.
Through this position, she formed something that the community is practically never offered: “softness without apology, vulnerability without consequence and care without conditions.”
A Night Of Rest
The opening session that took place on Oct. 15 surrounded the topic of Softness as Resistance for “What’s the Tea Wednesday.” Exploring that theme of “softness,” Diggs wanted the setting to feel like an exhale. Blankets, ambient lighting, diffuser scents and Mezeh catering created a space that allowed the attendees to feel at ease.
The intimacy was carefully thought out, as sometimes we find the most vulnerable parts of ourselves uncovered with closeness to those around us.
The night passed with not only mirror decorating, but meaningful conversation. Each mirror reflected every woman’s true perception of themselves with their personalized jewels and symbols, rather than the one that the world has given them.
Discussion flowed easily, as community was found in the shared experiences of enduring in silence and the stress of appearing strong, even when mental and physical exhaustion is at a high. The night ended by affirming their hopes and desires aloud into the mirrors, and the women reclaimed their softness.
Looking To The Future
Diggs declares that Soft Space is not merely a program, but rather a refusal. It’s a space for Black women to share their experiences and come as their true selves: no mask, no filters, no walls. As the session progressed, they explored how softness is not the opposite of strength, but rather the tender side of survival.
Diggs articulates that she built Soft Space because she knows the pressure of carrying everything, and yet still being asked to carry more.
“My intention is simple: to create a world, even for a few hours a month, where Black women don’t have to earn softness. We just get to have it.”
-Noa Diggs
The success of the first session will only open more opportunities for spaces where Black women can relish in their relaxation. Hopefully, Soft Space can be one of many outlets that they use to establish their persons in this foundational stage of their lives.
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