Psychology of Black Womanhood is the first textbook to provide an authoritative, jargon-free, affordable, and holistic exploration of the sociohistorical and psychological experiences of Black girls and women in the United States, while discussing the intersection of their identities. The authors include research on young, middle-aged, and maturing women; LGBTQ+ women and non-binary individuals; women with disabilities; and women across social classes. This textbook is firmly rooted in Black feminist, womanist, and psychological frameworks that incorporate literature from related disciplines, such as sociology, Black/African American studies, women’s studies, and public health. Psychology of Black Womanhood speaks to the psychological study of experiences of girls and women of African descent in the United States and their experiences in the context of identity development, education, religion, body image, physical and mental health, racialized gendered violence, sex and sexuality, work, relationships, aging, motherhood, and activism. This textbook has implications for practice in counseling, social work, health care, education, advocacy, and policy.

Creates a new framework for approaching Black women’s wellness, by merging theory and practice with both personal narratives and public policy. This book offers a unique, interdisciplinary, and thoughtful look at the challenges and potency of Black women’s struggle for inner peace and mental stability. It brings together contributors from psychology, sociology, law, and medicine, as well as the humanities, to discuss issues ranging from stress, sexual assault, healing, self-care, and contemplative practice to health-policy considerations and parenting. Merging theory and practice with personal narratives and public policy, the book develops a new framework for approaching Black women’s wellness in order to provide tangible solutions. The collection reflects feminist praxis and defines womanist peace in terms that reject both “superwoman” stereotypes and “victim” caricatures. Also included for health professionals are concrete recommendations for understanding and treating Black women. “ this book speaks not only to Black women but also educates a broader audience of policymakers and therapists about the complex and multilayered realities that we must navigate and the protests we must mount on our journey to find inner peace and optimal health.” — from the Foreword by Linda Goler Blount

The experiences of African American women and Latinas are rich and complex. These women simultaneously bring healing, wholeness, and restoration to themselves and their communities. While they live with risk economically, psychologically, socially, and politically, they have also attained noteworthy ways of coping and thriving. Thus, the growing literature on their experiences highlights narratives of survival, struggle, and soaring. This inspiring book introduces the psychologies of womanists and mujeristas -- African American women and Latinas, respectively, who have a broad and inclusive approach to feminism and liberation. Womanist and mujerista values and worldviews emphasise resiliency, strength, activism, self-expression, creativity, spirituality/connection, self-definition, and liberation of all oppressed people. As opposed to much general psychology literature that pathologises or marginalises the experiences of African American women and Latinas, this book centralises their psyches and unpacks the underexplored areas of their historical and contemporary ways of knowing and approaches to living. The value of cultural and gender identity is viewed not from a deficit perspective, but instead as an asset and contributor to meaning, identity, and strengths. The authors of this volume are all womanists and mujeristas who are leading psychologists and scholars. They integrate findings from multiple disciplines to explore psychology, spirituality, creativity, activism, counselling, healing, research, and leadership from a womanist and mujerista perspective.

Black women are termed the "double minority." The field of psychology does not holistically address black women. Feminist and Black psychology do not fully include black women in their foundation--hence research on them remains scant. The small body of research on them indicates that black women experience specific psychological wounds. Black women find other paradigms to address their wounds and the specifics of their experience. They use the theatrical paradigm as a medium for discourse. This argument is illustarted through a one-woman piece performed by the researcher. Psychology must look towards other paradigms as a means of incorporating black women.

Focusing on the breadth of issues that affect psychotherapy with African American women, this unique volume is designed to help clinicians develop a broader understanding of what is useful and what is problematic when applying psychodynamic concepts to their clients. From an array of seasoned clinicians, chapters present innovative and creative reformulations of theory and technique that build upon and challenge existing models. Issues addressed include the psychological dilemmas confronting diverse African American women as they negotiate a society that is hostile to them on multiple levels; how ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation and other differences come into play within the therapeutic dyad; and approaches to unraveling the complex interplay of sociopolitical, intrapsychic, and interpersonal concerns in treatment. Filled with illustrative clinical material and pointers for practice, the volume will enhance the cultural competence of mental heath practitioners and students across a range of disciplines.

The Hidden Psychological Effects of Money of Black Women is a collection of experiences by a group of Black women, who have learned to have a strong relationship with money. Learning to have a friendship with money, and understanding how money really works is magical. Knowing how the relationship will help anyone manage their finances is even better. It is not enough just to put a beautiful spreadsheet together that spells out individual financial responsibilities, it the realization of what the spreadsheet means. Life is wonderful when you are able to find your Financial Voice. You learn to teach others to do what you know.

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.

Commemorating its 2oth year in print with a new Introduction and updated content, Shifting explores the many identities Black women must adopt in various spaces to succeed in America. Based on the African American Women's Voices Project, Shifting reveals that a large number of Black women feel pressure to compromise their true selves as they navigate America's racial and gender bigotry. Black women "shift" by altering the expectations they have for themselves or their outer appearance. They modify their speech. They shift "white" as they head to work in the morning and "Black" as they come back home each night. They shift inward, internalizing the searing pain of the negative stereotypes that they encounter daily. And sometimes they shift by fighting back. In commemoration of its twentieth year in print with a new Introduction and updated content throughout Shifting is a much-needed, clear, and comprehensive portrait of the reality of Black women's lives today.

This book offers a unique, interdisciplinary, and thoughtful look at the challenges and potency of Black women's struggle for inner peace and mental stability. It brings together contributors from psychology, sociology, law, and medicine, as well as the humanities, to discuss issues ranging from stress, sexual assault, healing, self-care, and contemplative practice to health-policy considerations and parenting. Merging theory and practice with personal narratives and public policy, the book develops a new framework for approaching Black women's wellness in order to provide tangible solutions. The collection reflects feminist praxis and defines womanist peace in terms that reject both "superwoman" stereotypes and "victim" caricatures. Also included for health professionals are concrete recommendations for understanding and treating Black women. "...this book speaks not only to Black women but also educates a broader audience of policymakers and therapists about the complex and multilayered realities that we must navigate and the protests we must mount on our journey to find inner peace and optimal health." — from the Foreword by Linda Goler Blount For access to an online resource created by the editors, visit: Black Women's Mental Health @ http://www.bwmentalhealth.net/

In spite of the double burden of racial and gender discrimination, African-American women have developed a rich intellectual tradition that is not widely known. In Black Feminist Thought, Patricia Hill Collins explores the words and ideas of Black feminist intellectuals as well as those African-American women outside academe. She provides an interpretive framework for the work of such prominent Black feminist thinkers as Angela Davis, bell hooks, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde. The result is a superbly crafted book that provides the first synthetic overview of Black feminist thought.