I would like to plan an event on body empowerment and intersectionality in which Sonya Renee Taylor, the founder of The Body Is Not An Apology, comes to speak at Davidson. The Body Is Not An Apology is a worldwide movement and digital education platform that promotes “radical self-love and bodily empowerment”.1 Taylor believes her movement is radical because each individual needs extreme self-love to enhance relationships with themselves and others, and to take drastic societal measures to change how society views and talks about the body. As an author and activist who addresses the intersectionality of race, sexual orientation, class, and much more in terms of the body and body positivity, I believe that Taylor would reach a wide audience at Davidson. Intersectionality—the overlap of social classifications like race, class, and gender—contributes to the discrimination and oppression of multiple parts of one’s identity, specifically in marginalized groups.2 The Davidson community is comprised of students of many identities and backgrounds, so I believe the discussion of intersectionality within the of body empowerment movement would be engaging to Davidson students. Furthermore, Davidson students are passionate and hardworking but can often become critical of themselves due to the competitive college environment. I believe Davidson students would benefit from Taylor who teaches the value of unapologetic self-love and empowerment, as well as tools to build these values.
In her NYLON YouTube video on the difference between body positivity and fat activism, Virgie Tovar explains that the face of body positivity tends to be straight, thin, white women.3 These are not the women, however, that experience the most bodily discrimination. Through acknowledgement and celebration of bodies of different “age, race, size, gender, dis/ability, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, class, and other attributes,” Taylor teaches her audience to reject this false reality about body positivity.1 She also educates people on how society’s perceptions of the body and what is typically perceived as fat contributes greatly to the intersectionality of discrimination. On her website, Taylor writes that, “my big, Black, queer body was not supposed to be seen or sexy, but I posted it anyway”.1 Despite potential discrimination against her race, sexuality, and body size, Taylor embraced her body and highlighted its differences from the typical body that magazines portray – thin, white bodies. Her post resulted in the creation of The Body Is Not An Apology. Although Taylor lives in New Zealand, she travels globally to present lectures and workshops on radical self-love, body empowerment, social justice, and much more. Taylor can be reached for booking inquiries on her website.4 We would submit an inquiry for a lecture at a large event at Davidson College, such as a conference or commencement, and communicate the goals and audience for this lecture.5 The goals would be to teach students about The Body Is Not An Apology and Taylor’s background, the intersectionality of fat activism and body empowerment, and how to incorporate body empowerment into social justice and reform. Additionally, it would be beneficial for students to learn how to build tools to garner radical self-love. If Taylor were to present a lecture at Davidson College, this event would be publicized through posters, emails, and social media platforms. On Instagram, we could post on the Davidson College account, as well as other Davidson clubs related to this topic like Planned Parenthood Generation Action, the Health Advisers, Eating Houses, and many more. On Facebook, we could send out a post in the Davidson College 2020-2021 School Year group, or whatever year is active at the time of the event. Considering the large audience that Taylor’s topic would interest, I believe this event would best take place in a large room for a conference, such as the Wall Atrium or the 900 Room in Union. For commencement, it would take place on the Chamber’s Lawn. Taylor could present her lecture and take questions from the audience. Perhaps this event could be funded by the Union Board.
Going into my second semester of senior year, I do not think I will have adequate time to plan and publicize this event. However, I will present this plan to the Vice President of Connor Eating House, the PCC organization I belong to, who plans educational events along with the other Eating Houses. I will also submit this plan to the leaders of Planned Parenthood, the Health Advisers, and Union Board in hopes that one of these organizations will take an interest in my recommendation. If they chose to move forward with my plan to invite Sonya Renee Taylor to campus, they will be able to decide when to host this event. I believe this lecture would equip Davidson College students to move forward into the world with an awareness of how bodies intersect with other aspects of identity and discrimination, as well as how to fight against such discrimination and heal from body shame and guilt.
1 Taylor, Sonya Renee. “Mission, Vision, & History.” The Body Is Not An Apology,
https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/about-tbinaa/history-mission-and-vision/.
2 “Methods -Intersectionality Theory.” Georgia Douglas Johnson: Rereading the Harlem
Renaissance, https://georgiadouglasjohnson.com/intersectionaltheory/
3 “Virgie Tovar Tells Us the Difference between Body Positivity And Fat Activism.” YouTube,
18 Sept. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_OoS_hgXfQ.
4 “Contact – Booking Inquiries.” Sonya Renee Taylor, https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/contact#booking-inquiries.
5 “Work – Speaking & Lectures.” Sonya Renee Taylor,