A Cornelius Browne Book · First Edition · May 2026
A Short Tale of Trauma in Black Bodies
Some wounds are invisible.
Some histories live beneath the skin.
The Weight We Carry is a powerful illustrated story exploring racial trauma, embodied stress, resilience, and healing through the journey of a young girl named Bisi.
“Because sometimes, child, the body remembers what the mind has not yet learned.”
Bisi's GrandmotherBefore The Beginning
For many Black people, survival is mistaken for strength. The Weight We Carry explores how trauma can be carried through bodies, families, communities and generations.
“Long before she knew the word ‘trauma,’ Bisi carried it.”
Inside The Book
Original black-and-white illustrations by the author. Each plate carries the weight of the words alongside it.
The Body Remembers
Repeated exposure to discrimination and stress changes how the nervous system responds to the world. The body becomes hyper-vigilant. Researchers call this embodied trauma.
Stories Beneath the Skin
It can be inherited through generations and expressed through behaviour, health and emotional regulation. The body can inherit more than eye colour. It can inherit vigilance.
Finding Breath Again
Regulation — calming the nervous system. Connection — safe relationships. Recognition — understanding the source of harm. Slowly, the body learns to rest.
The Author
The Weight We Carry emerged from years of artistic exploration, international exhibitions, and research into trauma experienced by Black communities — beginning with solo shows in Paris and Lagos in 2019.
The book grew from the acclaimed exhibition Processing Trauma in Black Bodies, held in Autumn 2023 on Fish Island in East London — an art exhibition and therapeutic space.
“I have never felt beautiful as a Black woman until I saw your art.”— Visitor, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris 2019
The Impact
Proceeds from The Weight We Carry support the provision of permanent, affordable therapeutic spaces in schools, workplaces and communities.
Every purchase helps create safer environments where healing becomes possible — continuing the work begun by Processing Trauma in Black Bodies.
Foreword & Praise
“The Weight We Carry is a short book, but it carries a great deal. It is written to be felt as much as read.”
Dr Derek McKenzie
Black Africana Existential Psychotherapist & Clinical Supervisor. Independent Researcher · Public Speaker.
Who This Book Is For
A short tale, illustrated in ink, that meets readers wherever they encounter the weight.
Start The Conversation
5 Things You Might Be Carrying (And Don't Even Realise) — a short reflective companion to the book, delivered straight to your inbox.
Begin
“We carry pain. But we also carry wisdom.”
Soft Cover £10.00 · Hardcover £15.00
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