Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T15:24:18.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Strong Black Woman Persona: Mental Health Impacts

from Part III - Core Themes in Black Women’s Stress and Distress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2023

Donna Baptiste  and
Adia Gooden
Donna Baptiste
Affiliation:
Northwestern University, Illinois
Adia Gooden
Affiliation:
Unconditionally Worthy, Co.
Get access

Summary

Strong Black Woman Persona: Mental Health Impacts, discusses the everyday experience of Black women’s penchant to be overcommitted and overburdened in caring for the needs of others. This idea, framed as the Strong Black Woman persona, is a racialized gender performance, a scripted role into which Black women are socialized, beginning in childhood. We discuss the historical, societal, and cultural forces that cause women to internalize Strong Black Woman identities. We also recommend strategies to help Black women move beyond a sense of constant self-sacrifice to prioritizing self-care.

Keywords

Strong Black Womanmental healthimpacts
Type
Chapter
Information
Promoting Black Women's Mental Health
What Practitioners Should Know and Do
 , pp. 191 - 213
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Organizations

Black Girl in Om. (n.d.). https://www.blackgirlinom.com/Google Scholar
No More Martyrs. (n.d.). https://www.nomoremartyrs.org/Google Scholar

Books

Barnes, C. W. (2014). Too heavy a yoke: Black women and the burden of strength. Cascade Books.Google Scholar
Burnett, Zeigler (2021). Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen: The emotional lives of Black women. Harper Collins.Google Scholar
Tawwab, N. G. (2021). Set boundaries, find peace: A guide to reclaiming yourself. TarcherPerigee.Google Scholar

Podcasts

Cole, M. (Executive Producer). (2018). Black girls don’t cry [Audio podcast]. BBC Radio 4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b9zfwsGoogle Scholar

References

Abrams, J. A., Maxwell, M., Pope, M., & Belgrave, F. Z. (2014). Carrying the world with the grace of a lady and the grit of a warrior: Deepening our understanding of the “Strong Black Woman” schema. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 38, 503–518.Google Scholar
Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2003). Strong and large Black women? Exploring relationships between deviant womanhood and weight. Gender & Society, 17, 111–121.Google Scholar
Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2005). Keeping up appearances, getting fed up: The embodiment of strength among African American women. Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, 5(2), 104–123.Google Scholar
Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2007). You have to show strength: An exploration of gender, race, and depression. Gender & Society, 21(1), 28–51.Google Scholar
Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2008). Listening past the lies that make us sick: A voice-centered analysis of strength and depression among Black women. Qualitative Sociology, 31(4), 391–406.Google Scholar
Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2009). Behind the mask of the strong Black woman: Voice and the embodiment of a costly performance. Temple University Press.Google Scholar
Black, A. R., & Peacock, N. (2011). Pleasing the masses: Messages for daily life management in African American women’s popular media sources. American Journal of Public Health, 101(1), 144–150. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.167817Google Scholar
Black, A. R., & Woods‐Giscombé, C. (2012). Applying the stress and “strength” hypothesis to Black women’s breast cancer screening delays. Stress and Health, 28(5), 389–396.Google Scholar
Brody, D. J., Pratt, L. A., & Hughes, J. P. (2018). Prevalence of depression among adults aged 20 and over: United States, 2013–2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db303.htmGoogle Scholar
Buchanan, N. T., & Fitzgerald, L. F. (2008). Effects of racial and sexual harassment on work and the psychological well-being of African American women. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13(2), 137–151.Google Scholar
Burnett-Zeigler, I., Satyshur, M. D., Hong, S., Wisner, K. L., & Moskowitz, J. (2019). Acceptability of a mindfulness intervention for depressive symptoms among African-American women in a community health center: A qualitative study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 45, 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.05.012Google Scholar
Chinn, J. J., Martin, I. K., & Redmond, N. (2021). Health equity among Black women in the United States. Journal of Women’s Health, 30(2), 212–219.Google Scholar
Collins, P. H. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge.Google Scholar
Collins, P. H. (2020). Defining black feminist thought. In McCann, C., Kim, S., & Ergun, E. (Eds.), Feminist theory reader (5th ed., pp. 278–290). Routledge.Google Scholar
Cramer, K. M., Gallant, M. D., & Langlois, M. W. (2005). Self-silencing and depression in women and men: Comparative structural equation models. Personality and Individual Differences, 39(3), 581–592.Google Scholar
Crenshaw, K. W. (2017). On intersectionality: Essential writings. The New Press.Google Scholar
Donovan, R. A. (2011). Tough or tender: (Dis) similarities in White college students’ perceptions of Black and White women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35(3), 458–468.Google Scholar
Donovan, R. A., & West, L. M. (2015). Stress and mental health: Moderating role of the strong Black woman stereotype. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(4), 384–396.Google Scholar
Donovan, R. A., & Williams, M. (2002). Living at the intersection: The effects of racism and sexism on Black rape survivors. Women and Therapy, 25, 95–105.Google Scholar
Drustrup, D., & Baptiste, D. R. (2019). Problem-saturated stories in narrative couple and family therapy. In Lebow, J., Chambers, A., & Breunlin, D. C. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of couple and family therapy (pp. 2334–2336). Springer.Google Scholar
Dutton, M. A., Bermudez, D., Matas, A., Majid, H., & Myers, N. L. (2013). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for low-income, predominantly African American women with PTSD and a history of intimate partner violence. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 20(1), 23–32.Google Scholar
Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(1), 35–43.Google Scholar
Harrington, E. F., Crowther, J. H., & Shipherd, J. C. (2010). Trauma, binge eating, and the “Strong Black Woman.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 469–479.Google Scholar
Harris-Lacewell, M. (2001). No place to rest: African American political attitudes and the myth of Black women’s strength. Women & Politics, 23, 1–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris-Perry, M. V. (2011). Sister citizen: Shame, stereotypes, and Black women in America. Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Holden, K. B., Belton, A. S., & Hall, S. P. (2015). Qualitative examination of African American women’s perspectives about depression. Health, Culture and Society, 8(1), 48–60.Google Scholar
Jack, D. C., & Ali, A. (Eds.). (2010). Silencing the self across cultures: Depression and gender in the social world. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Jack, D. C., & Dill, D. (1992). The Silencing the Self Scale: Schemas of intimacy associated with depression in women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 16(1), 97–106.Google Scholar
Jackson, L. C., & Greene, B. (Eds.). (2000). Psychotherapy with African American women: Innovations in psychodynamic perspectives and practice. Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Jones, C., & Shorter-Gooden, K. (2003). Shifting: The double lives of African American women in America. Harper Collins.Google Scholar
McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., & Garcia-Preto, N. (Eds.). (2005). Ethnicity and family therapy. Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Mitchell, A., & Herring, K. (1998). What the blues is all about: Black women overcoming stress and depression. Perigee Trade.Google Scholar
Myers, L. J., & Anderson, M. (2013). Mental health assessment and treatment of African Americans in cultural context. In Paniagua, F. A, & Yamada, A. M (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural mental health. assessment and treatment of diverse populations (2nd ed., pp. 265–281). Academic Press.Google Scholar
Neufeld, A., Harrison, M. J., Stewart, M., & Hughes, K. (2008). Advocacy of women family caregivers: Response to nonsupportive interactions with professionals. Qualitative Health Research, 18(3), 301–310.Google Scholar
Parks, S. (2010). Fierce angels: The strong Black woman in American life and culture. Random House of Canada.Google Scholar
Romero, R. E. (2000). The icon of the strong Black woman: The paradox of strength. In Jackson, L. C. & Greene, B. (Eds.), Psychotherapy with African American women: Innovations in psychodynamic perspectives and practice (pp. 225–238). Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Settles, I. H., Pratt-Hyatt, J. S., & Buchanan, N. T. (2008). Through the lens of race: Black and White women’s perceptions of womanhood. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32(4), 454–468.Google Scholar
Simms, R. (2001). Controlling images and the gender constructions of enslaved African American women. Gender and Society, 15, 879–897.Google Scholar
Surrey, J. L. (1985). The “self-in-relation”: A theory of women’s development. Wellesley College, Stone Center for Developmental Services and Studies.Google Scholar
Tawwab, N. G. (2021). Set boundaries, find peace: A guide to reclaiming yourself. Tarcher Perigee.Google Scholar
Thomas, A. J., Witherspoon, K. M., & Speight, S. L. (2004). Toward the development of the stereotypic roles for Black women scale. The Journal of Black Psychology, 30(3), 426–442.Google Scholar
Thomas, K. A. (2009). A sistah’s legacy of strength: A mixed methods investigation of gender attitudes among African American women [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Tillman-Meakins, P. J. (2017). The strong Black woman and depression: A scoping review [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Waite, R., & Killian, P. (2009). Perspectives about depression: Explanatory models among African-American women. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 23(4), 323–333.Google Scholar
Walker-Barnes, C. (2016). Too heavy a yoke: Black women and the burden of strength. Wipf and Stock Publishers.Google Scholar
Wallace, M. (1999). Black macho and the myth of the superwoman. Verso.Google Scholar
Walsh, F. (2002). A family resilience framework: Innovative practice applications. Family Relations, 51(2), 130–137.Google Scholar
Walsh, F. (2012). Family resilience: Strengths forged through adversity. In Walsh, F. (Ed.), Normal family processes: Growing diversity and complexity (pp. 399–427). Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Walsh, F. (2015). Strengthening family resilience. Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Walton, Q. L., & Payne, J. S. (2016). Missing the mark: Cultural expressions of depressive symptoms among African-American women and men. Social Work in Mental Health, 14(6), 1–21.Google Scholar
Watson, N. N., & Hunter, C. D. (2015). Anxiety and depression among African American women: The costs of strength and negative attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(4), 604–612.Google Scholar
Watson, N. N., & Hunter, C. D. (2016). “I had to be strong”: Tensions in the strong Black woman schema. Journal of Black Psychology, 42(5), 424–452.Google Scholar
Whiffen, V. E., Foot, M. L., & Thompson, J. M. (2007). Self-silencing mediates the link between marital conflict and depression. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24(6), 993–1006.Google Scholar
White, M., Wijaya, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to therapeutic ends. WW Norton & Company.Google Scholar
Whitton, S. W., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2007). If I help my partner, will it hurt me? Perceptions of sacrifice in romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26(1), 64–91.Google Scholar
Woods-Giscombé, C. L. (2010). Superwoman schema: African American women’s views on stress, strength, and health. Qualitative Health Research, 20(5), 668–683.Google Scholar
Woods-Giscombé, C. L., & Black, A. R. (2010). Mind-body interventions to reduce risk for health disparities related to stress and strength among African American women: The potential of mindfulness-based stress reduction, loving-kindness, and the NTU therapeutic framework. Complementary Health Practice Review, 15(3), 115–131.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×