A few nights ago I had a case of blogger's block and I asked Facebook for topic suggestions.
Tigress Osborn suggested "Black History Month and the Black fat activists and the advocates for fat visibility who don't get the same opportunities as our white counterparts."
Mél Monheaux suggested "The black history of body positivity."
I want to start by acknowledging and appreciating their generous labor in making those suggestions.
I benefit from white privilege in every aspect of my life, including in my work as a fat activist. One thing that's been asked by many Black folks in the movement is that those who wish to work in solidarity to dismantle racism use our spaces to center the work and voices of Black activists. For that reason, I'll only be linking to the work of Black folks, without diluting their work with my (inherently privileged) perspective. I also want to acknowledge that no community is a monolith, and apologize in advance for any perspectives that are missing here. I welcome others to add links to the work of Black fat/body positive activists in the comments.
For white readers, I also ask that you not only read the work linked below, but also follow those doing the work, seek out ways to center their work in your spaces, and pay them. I also ask that you keep your comments to linking to the work of Black fat/body positive activists only.
The Body Positive Movement Both Takes From And Erases Fat Black Women Stop Excluding Black Women From The Fat Acceptance Movements Weighting To Be Seen: Being Fat, Black, and Invisible in Body Positivity Wear Your Voice Magazine's #BodyPositivityInColor Series Yoga Star Jessamyn Stanley Talks Queerness, Fat Acceptance, and Deleting Social Media Black Women Started The Body Positivity Movement, But White Women Corrupted It What do we need for a new freedom?: A proudly fat, disabled, bisexual enby's vision for #Juneteenth Who is the Body Positivity Movement Leaving Behind? Fatima Jamal's New Documentary Celebrates Being Fat, Black, and TransBlack Fat Women Matter Too Follow up piece here
Meet The Women Redefining The Body Positive Movement The Daily Realities of Being Fat, Black, and Queer in Public Spaces Fat, Black Women's Bodies Are Under Attack. Why Did It Take a Thin White Man to Get Our Cries Heard? Black Men Carving a Place in the Body Positive Movement Insta-FAB! 10 Bold and Beautiful Body-Positive Influencers You Should be Following These Black Be Body Positive Leaders are Changing the Game 8 Body-Positive Black Role Models to Follow on Instagram Right Now
Hi, I'm Ragen Chastain. Speaker, Writer, Dancer, Choreographer, Marathoner, Soon to be Iron-distance triathlete, Activist, Fat Person. View all posts by Ragen Chastain
