Synopses & Reviews
Do you ever feel that you have to leave your true self at the door in order to placate White colleagues? Do you downplay your abilities for fear of outshining Black men? Do you speak one way in the office, another way to your girlfriends? Is it sometimes a struggle to feel good about how you look -- your skin color, your hair, your body size and shape?
In this arresting and groundbreaking work, authors Charisse Jones and Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D., articulate with deep understanding what it is really like to be Black and female in America today.
Based on the African American Women's Voices Project, an interview and questionnaire study with four hundred women across the United States and from many walks of life, Shifting reveals that a large number of Black women feel pressure to compromise their true selves in order to fit in to American society. From one moment to the next, they report changing inwardly and outwardly -- Shifting "White," then Shifting "Black" again, Shifting "corporate," Shifting "cool" -- a coping and survival skill that often diminishes the joys of living an authentic life.
Shifting can have a devastating effect on a woman's body and soul. In a culture that is both racist and sexist, Black women are suffering. They are susceptible to an array of psychological problems, including anxiety, low self-esteem, disordered eating, depression, and even outright self-hatred. They may make others feel comfortable, but too often they are left feeling conflicted, weary, and alone.
Yet their revealing voices are utterly cathartic. As Black women talk openly about their lives -- contending with the workplace, mothering, coming to terms with their beauty, forging relationships with men, living their spirituality -- they describe what it takes to "make it" despite everything, and bring to light how essential it is to explode the myths and stereotypes still in place.
With this deeper perspective, Black women will find the path back to their true selves and come to understand how important it is to be aware of Shifting in their own lives. And readers of all genders and ethnicities will gain a heightened sensitivity to the continued damage wrought by bias and prejudice, and an increased awareness of what we can all do to make a difference.
Review
“Searing...as I read Shifting... I wanted to rip out chapters and send them to nearly everyone I know.” Gwen Ifill
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“Stress is a common theme...the authors found good news...Were learning that we dont have to lose ourselves.” Essence
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“Urgent...compelling and educational…a real contribution.” Publishers Weekly
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“Poignant…based on research garnered from the African American Womens Voices Project, the largest study to date of black women.” Booklist
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“Jones and Shorter-Gooden are wise, warm and candid, breaking new ground.... An important and powerful book for us all. Mary Pipher
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“A deeply moving, intimate and important book about the emotional costs for Black women in white America.” Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance of Anger
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“Always moving, at times haunting, and often inspirational, Shifting provides a richly textured look at the lives of Black women.” Bebe Moore Campbell, author of What You Owe Me
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“Meaningful and poignant...this well researched and beautifully written book is a must read.” William Pollack, Ph.D., author of Real BoysWilliam Pollack, Ph.D., author of Real BoysWilliam Pollack, Ph.D., author of Real BoysWilliam Pollack, Ph.D., author of Real BoysWilliam Pollack, Ph.D., author of Real BoysWilliam Pollack, Ph.D., author
Synopsis
"Always moving, at times haunting, and often inspirational, Shifting provides a richly textured look at the lives of Black women. Jones and Shorter-Gooden poignantly portray the day-to-day challenges and triumphs of 'sisters' at work, in relationships, and in their spiritual lives." -- Bebe Moore Campbell, author of What You Owe Me
Based on the African American Women's Voices Project, Shifting reveals that a large number of African American 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.
With deeply moving interviews, poignantly revealed on each page, Shifting is a much-needed, clear, and comprehensive portrait of the reality of African American women's lives today.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [293]-326) and index.
About the Author
Charisse Jones is a national correspondent for
USA Today. A former staff writer for the
New York Times and the
Los Angeles Times, she has been a commentator for National Public Radio and is a contributing writer for
Essence magazine.
Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in private practice and a professor at the California School of Professional Psychology of Alliant International University, Los Angeles.
Table of Contents
The roots of shifting -- The pain of gender silence : "I am Black but ain't I a woman?" -- The many shifts of Black women -- Seeking a voice : the language and message of Black women -- The Sisterella complex : Black women and depression -- Doing double duty : Black women in the world of work -- "Mirror, mirror on the wall" : Black women and beauty -- Forging a delicate balance : romance and relationships between Black women and men -- The ABCs of shifting : mothering Black children -- "Can I get a witness?" : Black women and the church -- Afterword -- Appendix: The African American Women's Voices Project.