"It started as a text between two friends. Tarana Burke, founder of the 'me too.' Movement, texted researcher and writer, Brené Brown, to see if she was free to jump on a call. Brené assumed that Tarana wanted to talk about wallpaper. They had been trading home decorating inspiration boards in their last text conversation so Brené started scrolling to find her latest Pinterest pictures when the phone rang. But it was immediately clear to Brené that the conversation wasn't going to be about wallpaper. Tarana's hello was serious and she hesitated for a bit before saying, "Brené, you know your work affected me so deeply. It's been a huge gift in my life. But as a Black woman, I've sometimes had to feel like I have to contort myself to fit into some of your words. The core of it rings so true for me, but the application has been harder." Brené replied, "I'm so glad we're talking about this. It makes sense to me. Especially in terms of vulnerability. How do you take the armor off in a country where you're not physically or emotionally safe?" Long pause. "That's why I'm calling," said Tarana. "What do you think about a working together on a book about the Black experience with vulnerability and shame resilience?" There was no hesitation. Burke and Brown are the perfect pair to usher in this stark, potent collection of essays on Black shame and healing (and contribute their own introductions to the work). Along with the anthology contributors, they create a space to recognize and process the trauma of white supremacy, a space to be vulnerable and affirm the fullness of Black love and Black life"-- Provided by publisher.
Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Between Us: A Reckoning With My Mother By Jason Reynolds 3 (10)
This Joy I Have
13 (9)
Austin Channing Brown
Dirty Business: The Messy Affair Of Rejecting Shame
22 (11)
Tanya Demise Fields
My Herd Is A Port Of My Body And Other Notes On Crazy
33 (10)
Kiese Makeba Laymon
The Wisdom Of Process
43 (11)
Prentis Hemphill
Love Lifted Me: Subverting Shrme Narratives And Legitimizing Vulnerability As A Mechanism For Healing Women In The Black Church
54 (13)
Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts
Never Too Much
67 (12)
Marc Lamont Hill
We Are Humrn Too: On Blackness, Vulnerability, Disability, And The Work Ahead
79 (8)
Keah Brown
What's In A Name?
87 (11)
Luvvie Ajayi Jones
The Blues Of Vulnerability: Love And Healing Black Youth
98 (11)
Shawn A. Ginwright
Filling Every Page With Joy: Rewriting Trauma And Shame
109 (12)
Kaia Naadira
Honoring Our Stories, Transforming Our Pain
121 (11)
Deran Young
Running Out Of Gas
132 (12)
Sonyarenee Taylor
My Journey: Vulnerability, Rage, And Being Black In The Art World
144 (10)
Irene Antonia Diane Reece
Unlearning Shame And Remembering Love
154 (10)
Yolo Akili Robinson
Hurt People Hurt People
164 (4)
Laverne Cox
Block Surrender Within The Ivorv Tower
168 (11)
Jessica J. Williams
Steps To Being Whole, On Your Terms
179 (12)
Aiko D. Bethea
To You: Vulnerable Mother A Choreo-Essay
191 (11)
Imani Perry
Where The Truth Rests
202 (13)
Tarana Burke
Acknowledgments 215 (2)
About The Contributors 217 (4)
Contributor Credits 221 (4)
Back Cover Photo Credits