Psychology of Black Womanhood

Psychology of Black Womanhood sets a new standard for textbooks addressing the Black experience from a Black perspective, with all audiences in mind. Dickens and Stephens showcase a brilliant breadth of multidisciplinary material examining the full spectrum of Black womanhood, in all its fierce complexity, with global sophistication. This book has an important place not only in classrooms, but also in bookshelves, book groups, and bedside tables--anywhere, inside or outside the academy, that people come together to better understand and more deeply appreciate Black women. --Layli Maparyan, professor, Wellesley College; executive director, Wellesley Centers for Women; author of The Womanist Idea (2012); editor of The Womanist Reader (2006) and Womanism Rising (2024) Finally! A textbook we can use in our courses that centers on the experiences of Black women as we psychologically and physically navigate through various terrains in life. Drs. Dickens and Stephens have done an outstanding job of synthesizing the literature on Black womanhood. They have masterfully crafted sixteen chapters that discuss a plethora of topics from an intersectional perspective and are all grounded in culturally relevant frameworks. This text will appeal to those both inside and outside of academia. It is a must-read for all committed to acknowledging, understanding, and uplifting the unique experiences of Black womanhood. --Naomi M. Hall-Byers, Winston-Salem State University This pioneering co-authored book, Psychology of Black Womanhood, is the most compelling, comprehensive, thorough classroom text I have had the pleasure of reading during my decades-long career as a Black feminist scholar/activist. While grounded in the discipline of Psychology, it is also interdisciplinary in its conceptual framework, attentive to a broad range of issues that defy easy categories, and bold in its analyses of complex matters that impact Black women across difference. Professors in various classrooms are likely to adopt this textbook, including African American Studies, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and American Studies. --Beverly Guy-Sheftall, founding director of the Women's Research & Resource Center and Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women's Studies, Spelman College A must-read for anyone teaching psychology of women and gender courses. This is the first undergraduate text I've read on the topic that doesn't discuss Black women's experiences in a peripheral fashion. --Theresa Kearns-Cooper, Jackson State University This text is refreshing in its focus on centering and exemplifying the experiences of Black women. It highlights critical work that I have not seen compiled in this way before. The authors use language that will immediately connect with Black students, scholars, and faculty, and they provide research that allows for an in-depth exploration of each topic. This book promises to give faculty new insights for teaching, not only through use of this text, but also in thinking about such an array of topics that uniquely impact Black women. --Shavonne J. Moore-Lobban, board certified and licensed psychologist; internship training director and campus director, The Chicago School, D.C. Campus This text is truly a one-of-a-kind original contribution that brings theories on intersectionality into ownership, agency, and practice. The co-authors approach the topic with intellectual rigor and cultural awareness. Urgently needed! --Steven F. Butterman, University of Miami