Why Body Shaming Is Anti-Black And Anti-God
Historically, the Black body was demonized as a means to “other” us. We’re taught to hate our skin, size, hair, pretty much everything having to do with our Black bodies. And that is not what God intended.
God created each of us intentionally. Our bodies are divine gifts that are uniquely ours.
If we spend our lives hating our bodies we may as well tell God, “Instead of trusting your intentions for me, I’m listening to what anti-Blackness has to say about me.”
In her book “The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power Of Radical Self-Love,” activist Sonya Renee Taylor writes:
“You came here, to this planet, as unapologetic radical love…Making peace with your body is about awakening to who you have always been: the physical, spiritual, and energetic manifestation of radical self-love.”
Look at your body in the mirror and say, “I love you.” Because we’re taught to hate ourselves, this might be easier said than done.
Do it anyway. Wake up every morning, look at yourself, and say “I love you.” Do this until it’s a habit. Until you believe it.
Taylor’s “Your Body Is Not an Apology Workbook” is a great resource for your journey towards embodied self-love.
No body is flawed. “Flawed” is white supremacy implying there’s a perfect body, typically a white, thin, able body.
When we love our bodies we see other bodies with love and can acknowledge differences without shame. Loving our bodies is what we were called here to do.
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