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The Strong Black Woman: How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women
How African American Women Repair and Recover from Trauma and Racism
Meet Black women who have learned though hard lessons the importance of self-care and how to break through the cultural and sometimes family resistance to seeking therapy and professional mental health care.
“Black don’t crack”. The Strong Black Woman Syndrome is a racist and sexist archetype created to marginalize Black women. It is a toxic ideology that is a major factor contributing to the dismal health metrics for Black women, showing that four out of five are overweight and are more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack than White women. The syndrome calls on Black women to be the problem-solvers and chief caretakers for everyone in their lives. “Black don’t crack” is a familiar adage. We never buckle, never feel vulnerable, and never bother others with our 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. Not because you are “crazy” but because you deserve to be emotionally healthy for yourself and those you love. More and more young African American women are re-examining the Strong Black Woman syndrome and engaging in self-care practices that positively change their lives.
In The Strong Black Woman, hear the stories of African American women who:
*Asked for help when they needed it
*Built lives that offer healing every day
*Learned to accept that healing―and deserve it
If you have read The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, The Racial Healing Handbook, or Black Fatigue, The Strong Black Woman should be your next read.
Meet Black women who have learned though hard lessons the importance of self-care and how to break through the cultural and sometimes family resistance to seeking therapy and professional mental health care.
“Black don’t crack”. The Strong Black Woman Syndrome is a racist and sexist archetype created to marginalize Black women. It is a toxic ideology that is a major factor contributing to the dismal health metrics for Black women, showing that four out of five are overweight and are more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack than White women. The syndrome calls on Black women to be the problem-solvers and chief caretakers for everyone in their lives. “Black don’t crack” is a familiar adage. We never buckle, never feel vulnerable, and never bother others with our 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. Not because you are “crazy” but because you deserve to be emotionally healthy for yourself and those you love. More and more young African American women are re-examining the Strong Black Woman syndrome and engaging in self-care practices that positively change their lives.
In The Strong Black Woman, hear the stories of African American women who:
*Asked for help when they needed it
*Built lives that offer healing every day
*Learned to accept that healing―and deserve it
If you have read The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, The Racial Healing Handbook, or Black Fatigue, The Strong Black Woman should be your next read.
224 pages, Paperback
Published October 12, 2021
68 people are currently reading
589 people want to read
About the author
Marita Golden
30 books158 followersMarita Golden (born April 28, 1950) is an award-winning novelist, nonfiction writer, distinguished teacher of writing and co-founder of the Hurston/Wright Foundation, a national organization that serves as a resource center for African-American writers.
(from Wikipedia)
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 25, 2022
"I have to remind women to listen to their bodies. We’re so busy helping others we show up in the emergency room or the doctor’s office at the last minute, often when treatment is least effective.” — 20% in 'The Strong Black Woman' by Marita Golden
"The New Age Strong Black Woman, a definition: I propose that we take the best attributes of the Strong Black Woman syndrome—loyalty to others, resilience, determination, confidence—and fuse those qualities with love of ourselves, listening to our bodies and minds and spirits, acting to ensure their health and well-being, and becoming willing to ask others for help and support. The New Age Strong Black Woman gives herself permission to say no and make it a one-word sentence, and makes self-care a regular part of her life." — 29% in 'The Strong Black Woman' by Marita Golden
A spiritual read! A must read for the sisters.
Representative of the ways that we need to show up for ourselves, and put ourselves first.
February 2, 2022
This! THIS!!! It is an important read and a library book that I NEED to own so that I can go back to passages regularly for reminders. I want to get this book for all the black women in my life. The strong black woman identity is literally killing us. This book talks about why this identity has helped us to make it through some hard times and gives us a sense of resiliency but it has also helped to hold us back from truly taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. Letting things go untreated at the cost of being strong, is doing us a disservice and it is time to redefine what it means to be strong by taking care of ourselves. Audre Lorde said that self care is not self indulgence but self preservation and an act of political warfare. It’s time to do some self preserving! Loved this book.
January 3, 2022
I needed to read this book to be reinforce my belief that as a Black woman, I have a right to self-care. I deserve to thrive, not just survive.
March 4, 2023
lots of amazing and well said points in the book - clunky at parts but overall really good book :)
March 29, 2022
Reading about mental and physical health of Black women always ends up being therapy for me. Another example of how liberation for Black women is liberation for all.
February 28, 2022
This work is well-written and thoroughly researched. Golden unpacks the Strong Black Woman myth by sharing details of her own and other women's personal struggles. For centuries Black women have been conditioned to care for everyone but themselves, and it has taken a great toll on their physical and mental well-beings which Golden focuses on.
January 6, 2022
Marita Golden is a fabulous writer and thinker.
I enjoyed the mix of memoir, history, facts, reportage, and various women’s stories here. It’s a worthwhile read that felt as though it were written with me in mind. That’s rare and it was much appreciated.
I enjoyed the mix of memoir, history, facts, reportage, and various women’s stories here. It’s a worthwhile read that felt as though it were written with me in mind. That’s rare and it was much appreciated.
November 7, 2021
Am not familiar with he author, decided to borrow this on a whim after seeing available through the library. But I was curious to see what the author had to say, being aware of the trope and myth. Black women will save us. Black women are doing the work. Black women are strong and so on and so forth.
In a series of essays, Golden looks at these and looking at how it unfortunately plays out in social interactions, the media and the like. How medical professionals believe Black people have higher tolerances of pain or don't feel pain at all (and that's not even getting into the unsaid implication that maybe they think Black people deserve to feel the pain). How Black women are often caretakers for others in their lives. How this puts pressure and puts them at higher risk for mental health issues.
That said, Golden also talks about coming out on the other side and talks about those who made the effort to ask for help. What healing may look like (although this obviously doesn't apply to every one and in every case). And how to help future generations.
Overall, it wasn't for me. I'm not the audience for it, I don't care for essays, etc. There were some parts that really did resonate, but for the most part it was not a work for me. I do think it's a collection for others, though, and even if you're not the intended audience (and you may not be sure until you begin reading), it's worth a read to help perhaps better understand, if only a little bit as to why that is.
Borrowed it from the library but definitely worth the purchase for the right person.
In a series of essays, Golden looks at these and looking at how it unfortunately plays out in social interactions, the media and the like. How medical professionals believe Black people have higher tolerances of pain or don't feel pain at all (and that's not even getting into the unsaid implication that maybe they think Black people deserve to feel the pain). How Black women are often caretakers for others in their lives. How this puts pressure and puts them at higher risk for mental health issues.
That said, Golden also talks about coming out on the other side and talks about those who made the effort to ask for help. What healing may look like (although this obviously doesn't apply to every one and in every case). And how to help future generations.
Overall, it wasn't for me. I'm not the audience for it, I don't care for essays, etc. There were some parts that really did resonate, but for the most part it was not a work for me. I do think it's a collection for others, though, and even if you're not the intended audience (and you may not be sure until you begin reading), it's worth a read to help perhaps better understand, if only a little bit as to why that is.
Borrowed it from the library but definitely worth the purchase for the right person.
February 23, 2025
This book was a definite wake-up call for me, but in a very good way…like a call-in for myself. Learning the depths of the Strong Black Woman syndrome was insightful and thought-provoking and allowed me to go on a reflective journey of how having succumbed to this syndrome has affected my overall well-being, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. After reading this, I do feel seen, heard, and valued and validated for many of the experiences I have had as a Black woman, but I also know it is ok to give myself permission to choose me and prioritize taking care of me and my self-care so that I can be the best version of myself, in a more sustainable and healthy way. I can be strong, but not in a way that makes me succumb to not being human and feeling like I have to do it all alone.
February 12, 2024
I am glad I accidentally found this audio in my elibrary. Much needed! It’s true and it’s enough. We are dying from inside. Killed slowly by suppressed words and feelings while we stand stoic and apparently stronger than everyone else. It’s a lie. The reader seemed on the verge of tears at times and so was I. I have been refusing to be described as strong lately. I’m much more complex and vulnerable than just strong. I’d rather be called weak, at least then, I am seen! I am human! I am Woman!
January 4, 2025
Going into 2023, one of my resolutions was to shed my hypermasculinity. My "I dont need anyone's help" mentality. One that is all too common amongst Black women. But I had no clue that the mask that we all wear to defend ourselves, is actually causing more harm than good. This book was PIVOTAL in helping me 1) realize many of us are on this journey of self-love and 2) reshaping my entire life around the notion that, not only do i not want to do it all, I don't HAVE to do it all.
March 15, 2022
Dispelling a pervasive myth requires the organizing, telling, and sharing of powerful and truthful perspectives, along with skilled writing that demonstrates both high-level craftsmanship and reflectively rich life experience. All of which makes THE STRONG BLACK WOMAN by Marita Golden more than a must-read; it is a communal and cultural treasure.
November 4, 2022
The book was captivating and kept me quite invested the entire time reading. However, where we started and where we ended wasn't where I thought Ms. Marita was taking me as a reader. All-in-all it was a good read. Will be looking for something that goes more in depth of this specific topic.
May 21, 2024
Amazing author….this is a MUST READ for all Black women, their partners, friends, and allies. A raw and insightful roadmap of the narrative of the “strong Black woman”, the history behind it, and the amazing qualities that make Black women unique outside of monolithic tropes.
March 17, 2022
3.75
Very validating but I feel like something was missing.
Very validating but I feel like something was missing.
February 23, 2024
It definitely is a must read and has some of the most amazing testimonies I've ever read!
September 30, 2024
wonderful message
June 19, 2025
As a strong black woman, I had to learn how to create boundaries and put myself first! Glad to know so many others are scaling back on being everything for everyone!
July 16, 2022
A Must Read. Loved It!!!
Once again, Marita Golden has skillfully crafted a powerful eye-opening, challenging, empowering and critically important message for her readers.
Our total well-being and personal life management has to be a priority, regardless as to what others may think. First things first- you.
Once again, Marita Golden has skillfully crafted a powerful eye-opening, challenging, empowering and critically important message for her readers.
Our total well-being and personal life management has to be a priority, regardless as to what others may think. First things first- you.
September 28, 2022
This book started out well and discussed why Black women fall into the trope of "strong black woman," but then it went off the rails.
While the author noted anecdotal evidence from her own life, I do wish she spoke more to the science behind the why. I felt this book could have been better structured and the tone more informative at a higher level of writing structure.
Overall, it would have been a solid book if it was based on data, science while including the mini-stories tossed in. I felt it had too much anecdotal commentary.
While the author noted anecdotal evidence from her own life, I do wish she spoke more to the science behind the why. I felt this book could have been better structured and the tone more informative at a higher level of writing structure.
Overall, it would have been a solid book if it was based on data, science while including the mini-stories tossed in. I felt it had too much anecdotal commentary.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews