I first describe the Black scholarly dilemma to set up the reader for how spirit murder happens subtly and the ways, I argue, centering Black life can restore our spirits. Through meditating on the existing literature, I argue that exclusion and marginalization are not the primary indicators of spirit murder in the education field or the academy. Then, I offer my theory of Black lifemaking as an analytical pathway to shift from seeking redress in sites of education to centering Black life as always generative. In conclusion, I outline a call to action for Black scholars to practice an abolitionist praxis that divests from meritocracy and clings to the margins.