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raevonwilliams's review
5.0
What a beautifully vulnerable book on the black experience. As someone going into the mental health field and having in-laws who are part of the black community, this book gave raw insight to parts of their daily struggles. I certainly have more history to learn and a lot more work to do, but I look forward to learning more about oppressive systems and finding ways to support poc.
taylersimon22's review
5.0
You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown was absolutely astounding.
From the moment I saw this duo editing a book together, I knew it was going to be a banger. The combination of Burke’s experience organizing around the #MeToo movement and Brown’s background in shame and vulnerability research with a Black liberation spin is absolutely magical. I was obsessed with them separately, but I am in awe with them together.
This essay collection brings together some heavy hitters in the field of Black racial healing and cultural commentators. My favorites brought together some of my favorites including Prentis Hemphill, Austin Channing Brown, Kiese Laymon, Laverne Cox, and Marc Lamont Hill— to name a few. Some new voices and thoughts introduced to me had me blown away.
In You Are Your Best Thing, they tackle so many issues that prove the Black community is not a monolith. Topics like masculinity, sexuality, disability, gender identity and expression, sexual trauma, motherhood, and faith, just to name a few. I saw myself in all of these stories.
And that’s the magic of community. We can all be so different, but we can still see ourselves in each other.
I listened to the audiobook, which was an extra treat because so many of the contributors read their own work. There’s something about hearing stories read straight from the storyteller.
I will definitely warn potential readers: There are lots of discussion of racial trauma (historical, generational, and contemporary) and other forms of trauma like violence, sexual and relationship abuse, mental health issues, and suicide. However, there are no graphic details or depictions.
You Are Your Best Thing is great for Black folks who love reading about the power and resilience of our community, but also perfect for white folks looking to learn more about the Black experience (without always asking their Black friend).
Five stars for sure!
From the moment I saw this duo editing a book together, I knew it was going to be a banger. The combination of Burke’s experience organizing around the #MeToo movement and Brown’s background in shame and vulnerability research with a Black liberation spin is absolutely magical. I was obsessed with them separately, but I am in awe with them together.
This essay collection brings together some heavy hitters in the field of Black racial healing and cultural commentators. My favorites brought together some of my favorites including Prentis Hemphill, Austin Channing Brown, Kiese Laymon, Laverne Cox, and Marc Lamont Hill— to name a few. Some new voices and thoughts introduced to me had me blown away.
In You Are Your Best Thing, they tackle so many issues that prove the Black community is not a monolith. Topics like masculinity, sexuality, disability, gender identity and expression, sexual trauma, motherhood, and faith, just to name a few. I saw myself in all of these stories.
And that’s the magic of community. We can all be so different, but we can still see ourselves in each other.
I listened to the audiobook, which was an extra treat because so many of the contributors read their own work. There’s something about hearing stories read straight from the storyteller.
I will definitely warn potential readers: There are lots of discussion of racial trauma (historical, generational, and contemporary) and other forms of trauma like violence, sexual and relationship abuse, mental health issues, and suicide. However, there are no graphic details or depictions.
You Are Your Best Thing is great for Black folks who love reading about the power and resilience of our community, but also perfect for white folks looking to learn more about the Black experience (without always asking their Black friend).
Five stars for sure!
kiwi_00's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This did more to help my mental health than any other self-help book I've read especially the last essay, it helped me to give myself grace and understand that there is nothing inherently wrong with me. Do I need to change my behaviours? Yes, but I do not need to be perfect. It was interesting to learn and reflect upon the ideas that white supremacy and the policing of respectability politics can only work through shame and how love is needed not only as an emotion but as a framework to organise/ combat white supremacy and fascism.
When talking about mental health or abuse, people tend to focus on statistics and graphs to show what's happening. There is never a focus on the visceral reaction to what individuals are experiencing, how people feel, and how they act even if it may seem 'crazy'.
When talking about mental health or abuse, people tend to focus on statistics and graphs to show what's happening. There is never a focus on the visceral reaction to what individuals are experiencing, how people feel, and how they act even if it may seem 'crazy'.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Racism, and Mental illness
pinesandpages's review against another edition
I’ll revisit this at a future date, but cannot bring myself to drag this reading out at this time.
ashley_wohner's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
I could feel the heart & soul poured into each of these essays. I especially loved Kiese Makeba Laymon's and Luvvie Ajayi Jones' pieces.
christie_esau's review
5.0
Necessary reading, especially for white folks who work in therapeutic contexts and would like to better support black folks. Highly recommend.