Fat Girls in Black Bodies Creating Communities of Our Own

Joy Arlene Renee Cox, Ph.D. (Author); Ta’lor L. Pinkston (Foreword)

$16.95

Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Format: Book
Binding: pb
Pages: 192
Released: September 29, 2020
ISBN-13: 9781623174996

To be a womxn living in a body at the intersection of fat and Black is to be on the margins. From concern-trolling–“I just want you to be healthy“–to outright attacks, fat Black bodies that fall outside dominant constructs of beauty and wellness are subjected to healthism, racism, and misogynoir. The spaces carved out by third-wave feminism and the fat liberation movement fail at true inclusivity and intersectionality; fat Black womxn need to create their own safe spaces and community, instead of tirelessly laboring to educate and push back against dominant groups.

Structured into three sections–“belonging,” “resistance,” and “acceptance”–and informed by personal history, community stories, and deep research, Fat Girls in Black Bodies breaks down the myths, stereotypes, tropes, and outright lies we’ve been sold about race, body size, belonging, and health. Dr. Joy Cox’s razor-sharp cultural commentary exposes the racist roots of diet culture, healthism, and the ways we erroneously conflate body size with personal responsibility. She explores how to reclaim space and create belonging in a hostile world, pushing back against tired pressures of “going along just to get along,” and dismantles the institutionally ingrained myths about race, size, gender, and worth that deny fat Black womxn their selfhood.

AK press

Join the Friends of AK Press and
automatically receive every new book
we publish!

Join Today

GET EMAIL UPDATES

FOLLOW US