Thick: And Other Essays

What is thick description and how does McMillan Cottom use it as method in her writing? Provide examples.

In “In the Name of Beauty,” McMillan Cottom explores how perceptions of beauty have shaped her life. She also identifies the limits of her own experience, writing, “there is not just one Black woman experience, no matter how thick one Black woman may be” (12). Her opinions on beauty are controversial, especially to Black women. Why is this? How does McMillan Cottom navigate the tensions raised by her perspective?

Diversity is raised throughout the book. Compare two contexts where diversity is analyzed by McMillan Cottom and explain how it relates to her larger argument.