It’s Always Been Ours: Rewriting the Story of Black Women’s Bodies

‘There simply is no better literary voice for this moment in history than Jessica Wilson.’
Sonya Renee Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of The Body is Not an Apology

We will rewrite the narrative of Blackness that centres and celebrates our joy.

For too long Black women have been left out of discussions about body image, food, health and wellness. By bringing the bodies of Black women centre stage, eating disorder specialist Jessica Wilson asks us to reimagine the ways we think about, discuss and tend to our bodies.

This book is a call for body liberation now. It’s Always Been Ours pushes back against some of the unhealthy ideals within the wellness movement. Seamlessly blending stories of clients, friends and celebrities, Jessica reveals how a fixation on thin, white women negatively impacts how Black women exist within our bodies and harms all women. Jessica urges us to reject a diet culture that disproportionately harms Black women. She offers, instead, a politics of body liberation that prioritizes Black women’s physical and psychological needs.

With just the right mix of wit, levity and wisdom, Jessica shows us how a radical reimagining of body narratives is a prerequisite to wellbeing for everyone. It’s Always Been Ours is a love letter that celebrates Black women’s bodies and shows us a radical and essential path forward to rediscovering vulnerability and joy.