The Strong Black Woman

How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women

By: Marita Golden

Narrated by: Diana Blue

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.

Black women face a hidden mental health crisis of anxiety and depression. To be a Black woman in America is to know that you cannot protect your children or guarantee their safety, that your value is consistently questioned, and that 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.

Time to take care of your emotional health. Because you deserve to be emotionally healthy for yourself and those you love. More and more young Black women are reexamining the Strong Black Woman syndrome and engaging in self-care practices that positively change their lives.

©2021 Marita Golden (P)2021 Tantor

A really good selection for book club

In her book "The Strong Black Woman..." Dr. Golden has her pulse on the mental and physical health experiences of Black women in the Diaspora. It is a book filled with stories of joy, sadness, but most important, models of women who are surviving it all by acknowledging their challenges while not enabling themselves or others to exploit or exhaust their strengths. She interviews several women mental health practitioners who share anonymous case study outcomes. In these cases, with help gaining perspective, participants often come to recognize the barriers to good mental and physical health that they and other women may be experiencing, and how they might overcome those barriers in family, work or community situations.

The unfortunate downside of the audio version of this book is voice of the reader, Diana Blue, whose reading style is halting, grating and as a result, I had to really concentrate to avoid its distraction from the book's message. With an often tremulous voice, she "over pronounced" each word with no inflection instead of reading phrases with the appropriate emphases. More practice reading aloud could help her. After listening to Dr. Golden's soothing voice on YouTube as she discussed this book, however, some of us wondered why she did not read her own work.

I highly recommend "The Strong Black Woman" in both text and audio versions for book discussion groups. It is direct, compassionate and inspiring enough for every woman to refer to parts of it from time to time.

Bebe Williams

strong advice

I love being a strong Black woman and this book confirms why. I am not strong because I want to be or because society tells me to be, I am strong because I must be.

outside looking In

This book lets you see, your life from the outside in. from the start. I had, no I hungered to know more about myself.

Fantastic

It was nice to hear stories like my own! I really appreciated this impactful book!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING

I want to thank Marita Golden sooooo much for this book. From start to finish I just couldn’t stop listening. I took so many notes and I can’t wait to utilize the tools I’ve obtained. Thank you again. I L❤️VE IT❣️

The plethora of information was empowering!

I thoroughly enjoyed the knowledge-base of the author and the authenticity in which it was presented.

A must read for black women!

So many aspects of this story explains who black women make themselves "strong" as a reaction to institutionalized racism. This book will help women better understand themselves and intimately love ourselves.

A must!!!!

Absolutely amazing. I connected with the author’s stories, pain and trauma. I hing onto every word. Such an amazing literary work. Highly recommend.

Healing!

Excellently covers so much of African American women’s experience, evenly, inclusive of men, family, all age groups. As a healthcare professional providing care for black women it’s a necessary read.

AMAZING!!

Every Black woman should read this book. Thought provoking and informative, this book will change your thinking for the better.