Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia

(Paperback)

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Description

Stephanie Covington Armstrong does not fit the stereotype of a woman with an eating disorder. She grew up poor and hungry in the inner city. Foster care, sexual abuse, and overwhelming insecurity defined her early years. But the biggest difference is her race: Stephanie is black. In this moving first-person narrative, Armstrong describes her struggle as a black woman with a disorder consistently portrayed as a white woman's problem. Trying to escape her selfhatred and her food obsession by never slowing down, Stephanie becomes trapped in a downward spiral. Finally, she can no longer deny that she will die if she doesn't get help, overcome her shame, and conquer her addiction to using food as a weapon against herself. For more information about the book and eating disorders, visit www.notallblackgirls.com

Reviews

"Armstrong's perspective ... will go a long way toward breaking down the myths about eating disorders that are preventing so many, many people of color from seeking the treatment they need." --Aimee Liu, author, Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders "Armstrong's intimate account of her battles with eating disorders shatters many longstanding myths and opens a space for those who have been silent for so long to speak ... and be heard." --Jaime Pressly, actress, My Name is Earl, and author, It's Not Necessarily Not the Truth: Dreaming Bigger Than the Town You're From "Hurrah for a woman bold enough to throw open the closet door and tell the truth about her relationship with food." -- Hill Harper, actor, CSI: NY, and author, Letters to a Young Brother "The sooner we ... confront all of the issues--like food addiction, depression, and sexual abuse--that keep us hurting and hiding, the sooner we can begin to heal. Armstrong's book is an answer to millions of black women's prayers." --Meri Nana-Ama Danquah, author, Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression "Harrowing and compelling ... a long-overdue look at eating disorders among African American women ... a gripping read [with] universal appeal." --Stephen McCauley, author, The Object of My Affection

Author Bio

Stephanie Covington Armstrong is a playwright and screenwriter who has written for Essence, Mademoiselle, Sassy, and Venice magazines. Her essay on bulima, Fear and Loathing, is included in the forthcoming Norton anthology The Black Body. She lives in Los Angeles.