Each month, we feature educational resources in the NAAFA Newsletter to support our community in working to dismantle systemic racism. These resources are also shared on our social media, blog, and website. Resources vary from month to month, and may include historical information, tools for personal reflection, or information about how to get involved and make change. Many of the resources we suggest will be introductory resources, and this information is never intended to be full coverage on the complex and nuanced topics that are chosen each month. We encourage you to continue learning, and we especially hope you will seek out and support scholars, artists, creators, and activists who represent the communities most impacted by the topic of the month. 

This month we invite you to join us in exploring resources about Women’s History Month. 

As we all know, when history is celebrated in the United States, far too often the voices, influence, and accomplishments of people of color are not highlighted. Women in history are also often overlooked, and that is even more true for Women of Color. Let’s take some time this month, Women’s History Month, to learn more about the contributions of Women of Color.

In the March 2022 issue of the NAAFA Newsletter, Darliene Howell compiled a list of amazing historical Black women that everyone should know - from Harriet Tubman to Stacey Abrams. It’s definitely worth a visit (or re-visit!)

Here are a few articles on history and the Women of Color who shaped it:

• These 21 Black women changed history forever

• Black Women and the Struggle for Equality

• Famous Black Women in History Who Changed the United States

• Between Two Worlds: Black Women and the Fight for Voting Rights 

• These 19 black women fought for voting rights 

• 15 Black Women Civil Rights Leaders You May Not Have Heard Of 

• Fat Black Women are Black History, Too 

If you’d like to sit down with a book/e-book, here are a few suggestions:

• A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali N. Gross

• Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall

• Sex Workers, Psychics, and Numbers Runners: Black Women in New York City's Underground Economy by LaShawn Harris

• Daughter of the Empire State: The Life of Judge Jane Bolin by Jacqueline A. McLeod

Because weight stigma is rooted in white supremacy and upholds colonialism and anti-Blackness, utilizing Kimberlé Crenshaw’s framework of intersectionality, People of Color who are also fat, face weight stigma and racism, as well as oppression at the intersections of those identities. Here are some fat-specific resources that we hope you’ll explore:

• Dear Fat, Black Girls Who Were Not Spared from Diet Culture — I Understand - Project HEAL

• Fat Women Of Color | Sisterhood, support, and sanctuary for Black and Brown women of size. Note: @fatwomenofcolor was created by a Woman of Color (fat lib advocate and life coach Ivy Felicia) for fat Women of Color. Some of their features and events are affinity spaces intended for those with shared identities. We encourage those who are not WOC to support their important work and to learn from those aspects of their work, like their interview series, that are focused on WOC but open to everyone. 

• The NAAFA Youtube channel is a great place to look for opportunities to learn from fat Women of Color. You can find all of thevideos from the NAAFA Webinar Series and other events at youtube.com/naafaofficial. Here are a few excellent episodes to start with:

• SuperSize Travel with Unique Gibson & Jae'lynn Chaney (NAAFA Webinar Series)

• Black & POC Leadership in Plus Fashion featuring Chenese Lewis (Ahead of the Curve)

• Resisting Uglification and Reclaiming U.G.L.Y. with Vanessa Rochelle Lewis (NAAFA Webinar Series)

• Fat Girls in Black Bodies with Dr. Joy Cox (NAAFA Webinar Series)

• Unashamed: Musings of a Fat, Black Muslim with Leah Vernon (NAAFA Webinar Series)

• Fat Glamour and Visibility Politics with Saucye West (NAAFA Webinar Series)

Other Articles from the March 2024 Newsletter