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 Grandmother
Racial Trauma ◆ Embodied Stress ◆ Intergenerational Healing ◆ Black Resilience ◆ Illustrated Tale ◆ Processing Trauma in Black Bodies
Before 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.
01 · Plate 01
Science now confirms what many have always felt.
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.
02 · Plate 02
Trauma is not only personal.
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.
03 · Plate 03
Healing begins when we name what has been carried.
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.
Support The Mission →
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.
Three Ways To Carry It Home
Every copy supports the provision of permanent, affordable therapeutic spaces in schools, workplaces and communities.
01 · Direct from the studio
£15. Signed by the author. Shipped worldwide. Secure checkout by Stripe.
Order Hardcover →02 · The 30 Day Journal
£25. Thirty guided prompts and original illustrations — the companion practice to the book. Shipped worldwide.
Order The Journal →03 · Schools · Workplaces · Communities
Equip classrooms, therapy practices, DEI programmes and reading groups. Discounts from 10 copies. Custom invoicing available.
Request a Bulk Quote →Questions
We ship the signed hardcover and 30 Day Journal worldwide from London. Every order is dispatched within 2–3 business days of payment via tracked delivery. Shipping is calculated at checkout based on your destination.
Every hardcover ordered directly from this site is signed by Cornelius Browne before dispatch. If you are ordering for an organisation and would like a personalised dedication, include your request in the order notes or email hello@adumaadan.co.uk.
Orders are dispatched within 2–3 business days. After dispatch, expect: United Kingdom 3–5 working days · Europe 5–10 working days · United States, Canada & rest of world 7–14 working days. You will receive a tracking number by email once your parcel is on its way.
Yes. We offer discounted rates for bulk organisational orders — classrooms, therapy practices, DEI programmes and reading groups. Discounts start at 10 copies. Visit the Purchase section above or email hello@adumaadan.co.uk for a custom quote and invoicing.
We package every book with care, but if your copy arrives damaged please contact us at hello@adumaadan.co.uk within 14 days of delivery. Include a photo and your order number and we will arrange a replacement at no extra cost.
Invite Cornelius
The book is a beginning. The lived encounter — a keynote, a workshop, a guided exhibition — is where naming becomes healing.
Keynote
Cornelius speaks at universities, conferences, museums and corporate gatherings on art, trauma, and the body’s intelligent response to injustice.
Enquire About Speaking →Workshop
Half-day and full-day workshops for schools, therapists, and organisational teams — grounded in the Processing Trauma in Black Bodies practice.
Start The Conversation
5 Things You Might Be Carrying (And Don’t Even Realise) — a short reflective companion to the book. Send us your name and email and we will deliver it straight to your inbox.
Begin
“We carry pain. But we also carry wisdom.”
Hardcover £15.00 · 30 Day Journal £25.00
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