Tarana Burke is an activist, founder of the MeToo movement, and graduate of Auburn University at Montgomery. Time Magazine honored her work as a 2017 Person of the Year winner and then identified Tarana as one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2018.
Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, and visiting professor in management at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. Brené is a best selling author on shame research. In fact, I recently finished reading the 10th anniversary of The Gifts of Imperfection.
This book is certainly an amazing collection of 19 stories addressing shame resilience within black communities. In addition, each contributor’s story reveals how they overcame and triumphed. I found each chapter holding a unique voice, as diverse as each contributor’s experience. Indeed, the book culminates with the closing chapter, Where The Truth Rests by Tarana.
This books serves as an inspiration to our global world of what can be achieved. However, the road to identify, confront, and overcome shame is indeed possible.
This is probably the second most important takeaway, each contributor shows that regardless of the impact of shame upon their lives, they took multiple paths to succeed. Their paths indicate there are numerous paths, not just one.
Learning for a global world
You Are Your Best Thing is certainly to be added to any list of must reads for the coming year. At the same time, this book crosses many topics, not just shame in our black communities. Regardless of race, sex, or zip code Tarana and the contributors are breaking down barriers that would seemingly indicate shame is only within the black communities across our country.
As a rule, black communities have felt shame in an even more intense consequence of racism. This is a third key element of the book. Just Be and MeToo certainly reveal how Tarana’s work began with a drop of water drop into a waterfall.
A powerful collection of stories
In conclusion, You Are Your Best Thing is an absolutely powerful collection of stories of overcoming shame. The success of each contributor proves you can live outside the black community and still succeed. Their stories stand for what is possible in overcoming shame for the entire world.
The Daily Show | Tarana Burke & Brené Brown – Vulnerability Through the Lens of the Black Experience
Literary Freedom Project | One Book One Bronx: You Are Your Best Thing by Tarana Burke, Brené Brown
Literary Freedom Project | One Book One Bronx: You Are Your Best Thing
Karen Hunter Show | Tarana Burke on You Are Your Best Thing!
Literary Freedom Project | One Book One Bronx: You Are Your Best Thing by Tarana Burke, Brené Brown
Ayoade Lawrence | You Are Your Best Thing by Tarana Burke and Brené Brown
Tarana Burke | Tarana’s Toolbox: Telling Your Story and Healing