Da'Shaun Harrison, an activist and Lambda Literary Award winner for "Belly of the Beast," dives into the structural roots of anti-fatness and its deep connections to anti-Blackness. They discuss how societal misconceptions about fat bodies trace back to slavery and eugenics, affecting justice systems today. Da'Shaun highlights personal experiences with body image and advocates for a more inclusive understanding of body positivity that fights systemic oppression. Ultimately, they envision a future where fat liberation is part of a broader movement for equity.
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insights INSIGHT
Racist Roots of Fatphobia
Anti-fatness, as a coherent ideology, emerged with white slave owners observing fatness on enslaved African bodies.
This linked fatness to negative traits like greed and laziness, intertwining anti-fatness with anti-Blackness.
insights INSIGHT
Health, Anti-Blackness, and Anti-Fatness
The medical industry's foundations are intertwined with the creation of mental and physical disabilities to justify the subjugation of enslaved people.
Da'Shaun Harrison argues that health, as a concept, is inherently linked to anti-Blackness and anti-fatness.
question_answer ANECDOTE
BMI's Flawed Origins
The Body Mass Index (BMI) was developed by mathematician Adolf Quetelet, based on the bodies of French and Scottish cis men.
It was intended to assess population health, not individual health, and was later adopted by eugenicists.
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Media, Medicine, and Morals in the American 'Obesity Epidemic'
Natalie Barrero
This book likely examines the societal, medical, and media perspectives on obesity in America, discussing how these factors contribute to public perceptions and responses to the obesity epidemic. It may delve into the moral implications and societal pressures surrounding body image and health.
The Captive Maternal
Anti-Fascist Renegades, Runaways and Rebels
Joy James
This book by Joy James delves into the lives of those 'feminized' into caretaking and consumption, uncovering the histories and struggles of Captive Maternals. It explores how these individuals, often self-identified as females, males, trans individuals, or those transcending gender, are integral to resistance against oppression. The work synthesizes over a decade of thought-provoking content and incisive analyses.
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe
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Hortense Spillers
Fearing the Black Body
The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
Sabrina Strings
In 'Fearing the Black Body', Sabrina Strings presents a meticulously researched history of the transformation of Euro-American ideologies toward fat from the Renaissance to the present day. She argues that fatphobia is an extension of anti-Black racism, tracing its roots through various historical factors including the Atlantic slave trade, Renaissance art, scientific racism, and Protestantism. Strings demonstrates how the ideal of slenderness is racialized and racist, and how Western medicine has historically relied on the brutalization and dehumanization of Black people to validate these ideals. The book highlights how assessments of body size and shape have been used to justify systems of oppression and how contemporary fatphobia is deeply connected to the historical processes of racialization and objectification of Black bodies[1][3][4].
Belly of the Beast
Kiese Laymon
Da'Shaun Harrison
Da'Shaun Harrison's "Belly of the Beast" delves into the intersection of anti-fatness and anti-Blackness, challenging the dominant narratives within fat studies. The book critiques the compartmentalization of identities and experiences within academic disciplines. Harrison argues that anti-fatness is inherently linked to anti-Blackness, rooted in historical systems of oppression. The work explores the violence inflicted upon Black fat bodies through policing, medical systems, and societal structures. Ultimately, "Belly of the Beast" calls for a radical reimagining of liberation that goes beyond traditional abolitionist frameworks.
Vox’s Anna North talks with Da'Shaun Harrison, the activist, author, and 2022 Lambda Literary Award recipient for their book Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness. Da'Shaun explains the ways in which society's anti-fatness is structural, and connected —historically and politically — to the structures of anti-Blackness that took root alongside slavery in America. Anna and Da'Shaun discuss common misunderstandings and myths about fatness, how these pathologies insidiously infiltrate the criminal justice system, and why Da'Shaun envisions a liberatory future in the idea of destruction.
The Gray Area with Sean Illing 
