Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'
Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke
2 reviews
mollymdull's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual violence
Minor: Racism and Transphobia
jspells's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
TRIGGER WARNING: This book does contain details of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Tarana Burke takes her life experiences and beautifully communicates them in a way that is not sugarcoated or timid. The bravery it takes for someone to recount not just one sexual assault experience but several is a bravery and burden that not many are equipped with or even have the desire for. Tarana’s experience is both exclusive and not. Unfortunately many young black girls and black women have had far too similar experiences to Tarana’s.
Tarana also speaks to the ground work she was doing in the black community prior to the #MeToo movement that blew up online. From the way she communicates it feels to me that she is a black activist first and for obvious reasons that could rub some people the wrong way.
Burke gives the reader a clear vision through her words of what shame and fear can be carried for survivors and all of the ways it could show up.
This book is hard and messy, but incredibly powerful. If you can handle the triggers or are able to skip over them I highly encourage you to read it. With her very New York attitude Burke reminded me as a mixed woman that I can’t give up fighting for young black girls and the goal should always be to empower them.
One of my favorite quotes in this book was: “If unkindness is indeed a serial killer, then my revelation is that I was my own murderer. I had taught myself to bend to my own unkindness first, so that I would be able to withstand the unkindness of others. I will not bend anymore.”
Tarana Burke takes her life experiences and beautifully communicates them in a way that is not sugarcoated or timid. The bravery it takes for someone to recount not just one sexual assault experience but several is a bravery and burden that not many are equipped with or even have the desire for. Tarana’s experience is both exclusive and not. Unfortunately many young black girls and black women have had far too similar experiences to Tarana’s.
Tarana also speaks to the ground work she was doing in the black community prior to the #MeToo movement that blew up online. From the way she communicates it feels to me that she is a black activist first and for obvious reasons that could rub some people the wrong way.
Burke gives the reader a clear vision through her words of what shame and fear can be carried for survivors and all of the ways it could show up.
This book is hard and messy, but incredibly powerful. If you can handle the triggers or are able to skip over them I highly encourage you to read it. With her very New York attitude Burke reminded me as a mixed woman that I can’t give up fighting for young black girls and the goal should always be to empower them.
One of my favorite quotes in this book was: “If unkindness is indeed a serial killer, then my revelation is that I was my own murderer. I had taught myself to bend to my own unkindness first, so that I would be able to withstand the unkindness of others. I will not bend anymore.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Drug use, and Transphobia
More...