Fat Girls In Black Bodies, Cox, Joy Arlene Renee Ph.D.

Even if Black bodies were thin bodies, wed still be considered ugly and unacceptable. Even if we were slender, wed be criticized about our wide hips, noses, and lips. Our fatness exacerbates Americas already anxious views against race and further demonizes our existence by relegating our roles in society. Were good enough to be mammies, but never to have a family of our own. We can work in the office, but never as the receptionist. We can be the girlfriend...in the dark...that no one sees. Ever.

To live in a body at the intersection of fat, Black, and female is to be on the margins. From concern-trolling--I just want you to be healthy--to outright attacks, fat Black bodies that fall outside dominant constructs of beauty and wellness are subjected to healthism, racism, and misogynoir. The spaces carved out by third-wave feminism and the fat liberation movement fail at true inclusivity and intersectionality; fat Black women need to create their own safe spaces and community, instead of tirelessly giving labor to educate, chastise, and strive against dominant groups.