#128: Radical Self Love with Author and Activist Sonya Renee Taylor

Sonya Renee Taylor is an award-winning poet, activist, author, and founder of the digital media and education company, The Body Is Not An Apology. She joins Lisa for a conversation about what radical self-love looks like, and why it can be the path to not only overcoming and rising above our individual shame and self-loathing but also to dismantling entire global systems of injustice. Sonya shares her vision of cultural transformation through body empowerment, and she opens up about how her book The Body Is Not An Apology started from a movement that promotes embracing our most unapologetic and authentic selves in a compassionate yet accountable way.

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Highlights:

Sonya is the Founder and Radical Executive Officer of The Body is Not An Apology, along with a book of the same title. These were born out of the movement that believes radical self-love is a foundational tool for self-justice and global transformation.
Much like Sonya’s strength and character have inspired others to live out loud, seeing a model on Instagram put her beautiful self out there unapologetically inspired her to do the same. When we embrace our radical self-love, we give permission to others to embrace theirs without worrying if they are “too much” or “not enough”. There is power in numbers.
When we allow the creative to express itself in us, we heal.
Sonya’s company grew from a 30 person membership to a globally recognized organization focused on radical self-love as the foundation for a just, equitable, and compassionate world.
Intersectionality embraces the fact that our multiple identities impact the way we operate in the world, and in turn how the world treats us as well.
Radical self-love dismantles the notion of there being any such thing as a bad body. If we create a world with space for every kind of body, the systems that cash in on our own self-loathing will lose their power.
The love that Sonya espouses is a love that requires action. It’s not nice and frilly, it’s honest and loving.
Sonya explains the differences between calling out, calling in, and calling on. While calling out someone could be ego-driven, there are times where people do need to be called out. Calling in is wonderful too, but sometimes it’s a burden to feel the responsibility of someone else’s actions. When we call on someone, we give them space to do the work without dragging them or burdening ourselves
We don’t have any control over a person’s actions, but we do have control over our response.
Radical self-love is an ongoing daily practice that is stronger when done in tandem with others in the community.

Quotes:

“Maybe we just need a space where we are allowed to unapologetically celebrate ourselves in the being and body we have today without the story of “too much” or “not enough” attached to it.”

“I believe in a love that does some work. A love that changes some things. A love that profoundly alters the way that we are with each other.”

“Radical self-love allows me to see and hold with love all of the ways that I am.”

“Body shame is absolutely contagious and so is self-love.”

Mentioned

@taralynn

Loretta Ross

Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw

Connect with Sonya :

@SonyaReneeTaylor | The Body is Not An Apology | The Body is Not An Apology |