bookinitwithahtiya 's review for:

You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience by Tarana Burke, Brené Brown

4.5

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I picked this up on a whim and briefly read the first few pages, which happen to be a conversation between Tarana Burke (the creator of the #MeToo movement) and Brené Brown. I appreciated the transcription of the conversation, as it sets clear intentions for the anthology. There is a wide range of professions represented, such as writers, entertainers, artists, activists, and more. There’s also mental health representation, specifically anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, as well as disability rep. Many of the contributors are also queer and/or trans. What I will say is that I would have liked more perspectives from men-identifying people, but that truly is my only critique. This anthology specifically deals with shame, and how shame is pushed upon Black people, especially those of intersecting identities, and the ways in which we process what we think should be shameful.