Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom is a collection of essays from one of America’s most influential public intellectuals. In her writing, Cottom explores concepts of race, class, gender, and culture to redefine how we think about and experience the world. Her words challenge us to rethink our assumptions and how we engage with the world around us.
Thick begins with the title essay, “Thick”, a personal exploration of what it means to be a Black woman in America. Here, Cottom delves into the idea of “thick”, not just as an adjective to describe her physical body, but as a metaphor for her place in the world. Cottom argues that the concept of “thickness”, especially as it relates to Blackness, contains multitudes of complexity and is not just a one-dimensional descriptor.
The second essay, “On Allyship”, expands on this idea and delves into Cottom’s experience with allyship. Through examining the different ways that both allies and non-allies have acted in her life, Cottom critiques the idea of “ally” as a catch-all term and invites us to consider what actual allyship looks like in practice.
Next, Cottom turns to the concept of “grit” in “On Grit and Grace,” another personal essay that interrogates the idea that success is solely determined by hard work and determination. Cottom explains how the idea of “grit” is often used to uphold structural inequities and how, for marginalized people, the concept of “grit” can be more about survival than success. She then examines how the concept of “grace” can be a truer measure of success by looking at the role of luck and privilege in our successes.
“You Don’t Have to Imaginary Me” further expands on the idea of representation and explores how the invisibility and erasure of certain stories and perspectives contributes to these inequities. With a personal and often humorously honest lens, Cottom delves into how representation is not just a matter of visibility and representation, but that good representation requires a comprehensive look at all facets of a person’s experience.
“My Life in the Ivory Tower” examines Cottom’s personal experience in academia and how it relates to the privileged and sheltered world of the academy. In this essay, Cottom challenges the notion of “academic excellence” and the idea that the academy is a merit-based meritocracy and instead examines how systems of oppression shape and define our experiences in academia.
In the title essay, “Thick”, Cottom challenges her readers to explore oppression, privilege, and the ways they interact and impact our lives. This theme is present throughout the rest of the collection, as Cottom challenges us to rethink who we are and how we interact with the world around us. Thick is an important collection, one that is sure to shape the conversations about race, class, gender, and culture for years to come.
