Major Health Crisis Among Black Women Generated from Systemic Racism “Marita Golden’s The Strong Black Woman busts the myth that Black women are fierce and resilient by letting the reader in under the mask that proclaims ‘Black don’t crack.’” ―Karen Arrington, coach, mentor, philanthropist, and author of NAACP Image Award-winning Your Next Level Life Sarton Women’s Book Award #1 New Release in Reference Meet Black women who have learned through hard lessons the importance of self-care and how to break through the cultural and family resistance to seeking therapy and professional mental health care. The Strong Black Woman Syndrome. For generations, in response to systemic racism, Black women and African American culture created the persona of the Strong Black Woman, a woman who, motivated by service and sacrifice, handles, manages, and overcomes any problem, any obstacle. The syndrome calls on Black women to be the problem-solvers and chief caretakers for everyone in their lives―never buckling, never feeling vulnerable, and never bothering with their pain. Hidden mental health crisis of anxiety and depression. To be a Black woman in America is to know you cannot protect your children or guarantee their safety, your value is consistently questioned, and even being “twice as good” is often not good enough. Consequently, Black women disproportionately experience anxiety and depression. Studies now conclusively connect racism and mental health―and physical health. Take care of your emotional health. You deserve to be emotionally healthy for yourself and those you love. More and more young Black women are re-examining the Strong Black Woman syndrome and engaging in self-care practices that change their lives. Hear stories of Black women who: Asked for help Built lives that offer healing Learned to accept healing If you have read The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, The Racial Healing Handbook, or Black Fatigue, The Strong Black Woman is your next read.

The &“Strong Black Woman&” has been a part of mainstream culture for centuries, as a myth, a goddess, a positive role model, a stereotype, and as a burden. In Fierce Angels, Sheri Parks explores the concept of the Strong Black Woman, its influence on people of all races, and the ways in which black women respond to and are affected by this image. Originating in the ancient Sacred Dark Feminine as a nurturing and fierce goddess, the Strong Black Woman can be found in myths from every continent. Slaves and slave owners alike brought the legend to America, where the spiritual icon evolved into the secular Strong Black Woman, with examples ranging from the slave Mammy to the poet Maya Angelou. She continues to appear in popular culture in television and movies, such as Law and Order and The Help, and as an inspirational symbol associated with the dispossessed in political movements, in particular from Africa. The book presents the stories of historical and living black women who embody the role and puts the icon in its historical and evolutionary context, presenting a balanced account of its negative and positive impact on black culture. This new paperback edition has been revised from the hardcover edition to include two new chapters that expand on the transformative Dark Feminine in alchemy and Western literature and a chapter on the political uses and further potential of the Sacred Dark Feminine in social justice movements in the United States and abroad.

There are 25.8% of families in the United States who are single parent households, 72% of them are black. Of these families 32% of the children are arrested at some point in their lives. Come with me as I peer into the life of Trish, an inner city single mother just trying to make it through life. Experience the obstacles she faces as she ventures into the unknown. "Hey baby, wassup?" "Jameer, I need you " Trish spoke into the receiver. "Are you okay? What's wrong baby?" J asked. "They took my son away from me," she whimpered. "Calm down Trish. Who took your son? What's going on?" "The cops took him " she shouted.

Explores the restrictive myth of the strong black woman through interviews, revealing the emotional and physical toll this "performance" can have.

The title is a lament for the strong Black woman "who carried her family in her belly, the community on her head, and the race on her back." A magical collection. Slashing and critical. Yet at the same time, it is full of love, insight, and the nourishing stuff that's meant to keep us STRONG and ALIVE.

Strong Black Girls lays bare the harm Black women and girls are expected to overcome in order to receive an education in America. It captures the routinely muffled voices and experiences of these students through storytelling, essays, letters, and poetry. The authors make clear that the strength of Black women and girls should not merely be defined as the ability to survive racism, abuse, and violence. Readers will also see resistance and resilience emerge through the central themes that shape these reflective, coming-of-age narratives. Each chapter is punctuated by discussion questions that extend the conversation around the everyday realities of navigating K–12 schools, such as sexuality, intergenerational influence, self-love, anger, leadership, aesthetic trauma (hair and body image), erasure, rejection, and unfiltered Black girlhood. Strong Black Girls is essential reading for everyone tasked with teaching, mentoring, programming, and policymaking for Black females in all public institutions. Book Features: A spotlight on the invisible barriers impacting Black girls’ educational trajectories.A survey of the intersectional notions of strength and Black femininity within the context of K–12 schooling.Narrative therapy through unpacking system stories of oppression and triumph. Insights for building skills and tools to make substantial and lasting change in schools.

In The Language of Strong Black Womanhood: Myths, Models, Messages, and a New Mandate for Self-Care, Black women of the Baby Boomer generation and Hip Hop generation share messages communicated and models witnessed in their socialization for strength revealing how this mandate endures in Black women’s lived experiences. They also express concern that self-care was not presented as critical for sustaining life as a strong Black woman—a concern shared by Black women bloggers who advocate resisting the myth and redefining strength for self-care. This Black feminist exploration of strong Black womanhood provides an alternative to harmful perceptions, constructions, and representations of Black women and suggests a mandate to move toward the revolutionary act of Black women’s self-care.

Dear Strong Black Woman, You are strong. You are resilient. You are beautiful. You are also 100% human. Dear Strong Black Woman contains 31 letters of nourishment and reflection from one strong black woman to another.

Healthy Habits to Become the Strong Black Women “This book is gonna save some sisters’ lives. Hallelujah!” ―Patrice Gaines, author of Laughing in the Dark #1 New Release in Codependency Marita Golden, a prominent interviewee of Oprah Winfrey, wrote this mental and physical health guide for women to learn who they are, to set healthy boundaries, and to jump into health related fitness practices to balance out their daily lives. Know Yourself. Jump start your relationship with yourself. Renowned author Marita Golden goes in-depth on how using meditation, silence, prayer, affirmations, and reflections allows for internal trust and confidence to blossom in your daily life. Set Boundaries. Setting boundaries can be difficult but they are necessary to living life as a strong woman in today’s world. Everyone else’s burdens are not yours to carry and no, you don’t have to fix everyone you come across! Learn how to set emotional boundaries, physical boundaries, and other boundaries to live freely. Inside, you’ll find: Healthy habits to reconnect with your inner self, your body, and those around you An empowering book for women to learn how to take back their lives one day at a time A mental health guide for women, black women affirmations, and reflection points to develop holistic wellness If you're looking for mental health books for young adults and/or the strong black women in your life, this book is for you! If you enjoyed Set Boundaries, Find Peace, How we Heal, This Is How You Heal, or You Are Your Best Thing, you’ll love The New Black Woman.

Black women have an image of themselves that differs from those others impose. Collectively, the contributors to this anthology demonstrate that such socially constructed images hide the complexities and ambiguities, the challenges, and the joys experienced in the real lives of black women.