These Black Bodies Are... (PB) (2023)

From the introduction, by Romaine Washington:

In Ta-Nehisi Coates's book Between the World and Me, he proclaims, "In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body - it is heritage." I would definitely agree with this quote based on history and current events. Black bodies were used as machinery to work the plantations and build the mansions of the men referred to as the founding fathers of this country. Black bodies are threatened at voting polls in the South and endure regular microaggressions as sure as we check our phones and use computers. Black bodies are gunned down while going on a daily jog and listening to music. And after the deaths, Black Bodies rise up to bear witness and demand justice. These Black Bodies Are . . . snapshots of the human condition in melanated skin and kinky hair. They are not asking permission to wear their kinky hair but rejoicing in the beauty of complexion and natural expression. These Black Bodies Are reminding us that though we may sometimes be ethereal and fragile, we are also resilient and determined.