by Sonya Renee Taylor, Foreword by Ijeoma Oluo
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
2/9/2021, paperback
SKU: 9781523090990
New York Times bestseller
"To build a world that works for everyone, we must first make the radical decision to love every facet of ourselves. . . . 'The body is not an apology' is the mantra we should all embrace." -Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar and founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum
Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies.
The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world--for us all.
This second edition includes stories from Taylor's travels around the world combating body terrorism and shines a light on the path toward liberation guided by love. In a brand new final chapter, she offers specific tools, actions, and resources for confronting racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia. And she provides a case study showing how radical self-love not only dismantles shame and self-loathing in us but has the power to dismantle entire systems of injustice. Together with the accompanying workbook, Your Body Is Not an Apology, Taylor brings the practice of radical self-love to life.
Reviews:
"Poet and activist Taylor (A Little Truth on Your Shirt) packs important ideas into this concise volume on body empowerment. "Radical self-love is not a destination you are trying to get to; it is who you already are," she counsels...The author's sensible and empathetic tone will lend comfort to readers and help them to see that no matter what their body type, they are beautiful." -Publishers Weekly
"The Body Is Not an Apology wrestles you free from the habit of your shame and declares you whole, right now, just as you are. To follow its revelations and teachings leaves you different on the other side and undoubtedly more yourself." -Prentis Hemphill, founder and Director, The Black Embodiment Initiative
"From the moment I met Sonya Renee, I knew my life, my world, and the way I view myself and others around me would never be the same. The Body Is Not an Apology is essential reading for those of us who crave understanding and those who are already on the path to learning how beautiful and complex our bodies are. It will empower you with the tools to navigate a world that is often unkind to those of us who whether by choice or design don't adhere to society's standard of beauty. Her words will echo in your heart, soul, and body just as they have in mine." -Tess Holliday, plus model, author, and founder of Eff Your Beauty Standards
"The Body Is Not an Apology is a gift, a blessing, a prayer, a reminder, a sacred text. In it, Taylor invites us to live in a world where different bodies are seen, affirmed, celebrated, and just. Taylor invites us to break up with shame, to deepen our literacy, and to liberate our practice of celebrating every body and never apologizing for this body that is mine and takes care of me so well. This book cracked me open in ways that I'm so grateful for. I know it will do the same for you." -Alicia Garza, cocreator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and Strategy + Partnerships Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
About the Author:
Sonya Renee Taylor is the founder and radical executive officer of the Body Is Not an Apology, a digital media and education company promoting radical self-love and body empowerment. Her work has been covered by HBO, BET, MTV, TV One, NPR, PBS, CNN, Oxygen Network, the New York Times, New York Magazine, MSNBC.com, Today.com, Huffington Post, USA Today, Shape.com, Ms. Magazine, and many more. She is a regular collaborator and artist with organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Association for Size Diversity and Health, Binge Eating Disorders Association, Greater than AIDS, and numerous others.