Ep. 21 - Raffela Mancuso on Fatphobia, Diet Culture & Passing the Damn Mic

Guest: Raffela Mancuso
Mental Illness Activist, Diet Culture Disrupter
About the episode:
Get ready to get real about Fatphobia, Diet Culture, Mental Health, Social Media Influencing, and the 'Body Positive' movement with Raffela Mancuso on this episode of the Mind Your Own Life Podcast. Raffela aptly describes herself as a 'Disruptor' and it was through her actions as such that I - and so many others - came across her and her big mission! In May 2020, Raffela decided to call in a handful of Self-Love Influencers on an Instagram Post for their thin privilege. Specifically, she was concerned about these Influencers not sharing the stage or 'passing the mic' to those who are in marginalized bodies, namely fat black women (who were the originators of the "Body Positive" movement). The post went viral. There were scores of negative comments and defensive responses to her post, but even more positive ones cheering her on for her transparency, allyship and courage. Since that point, Raffela's platform has grown and she continues to fight the good fight, educating and advocating for body equality. She recently started an initiative called #PassTheMic which calls on Influencers of any size to share their platform with those who need to be amplified. Listen in for a transparent conversation about a very important and relevant topic that applies to so many of us on social media.
About Raffela Mancuso:
Raffela Mancuso is a Diet Culture Disruptor, Mental Illness Activist and Body Equality Advocate based in Alberta.
Key Takeaways:

• Fatphobia often happens behind closed doors: Thin influencers with a fraction of the # of followers as fat influencers are reportedly offered more collaborations and opportunities with brands on Instagram
• The 'Body Positivity' movement was started by and for fat black women. 'Self-love' is for everyone.
• Regardless of how large or small your platform is, it's important to start to #PassTheMic to others who are in marginalized bodies

Links:
Jameela Jamil's iWeigh Podcast Episode with Monroe Bergdorf: https://omny.fm/shows/i-weigh-with-jameela-jamil/munroe-bergdorf