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The Black Women's Health Book: Speaking for Ourselves
More than fifty black women write about the health issues that affect them and their communities, in a revised, expanded edition that features twelve new pieces from such noted writers as Toni Morrison. Original.
389 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 17, 2026
Being back in my high school town, taking care of my sister who has recently been seen to be prediabetic, and having been recovering from a serious highway accident that exacerbated my already chronic knee pain and gave me muscle spasms that kept me from sleep, I picked this book up because I was struggling with my health.
it wasn't just the accident obviously, I had dealt with housing instability and displacement, familial abuse and was nursing many hurts from painful encounters. I spend most of my days going to work at a temp contract with the department of Environmental Protection and worried about the recipes I make for my sister and kind of enjoying cooking and feeling like it's the only real outlet I have. this book dealt head on with a lot of serious things that encounter all families and women, but the world really does kick black women when they are down. I know I was, repeatedly. From Alice Walker to physicians like Vanessa Northington Gamble, to essays about Lupus this is really a comprehensive look of stories and testimonies. I really recommend everyone to read it. Having graduated with my masters in Public Health last year, I read about how incredibly gatekept and segregated physicians and aspiring health professionals were purposefully and systemically kept back, all while coming home to distress and diseases wrecking their families, mothers, and grandmothers. Non-communicable disease, faith and miracles all are in these testimonies.
my intention for my next few reads is to get through my stack of health related books as I navigate job search in Public Health. Health is wealth and I pray I am finally, finally able to have peace in my mind and that it stays.
it wasn't just the accident obviously, I had dealt with housing instability and displacement, familial abuse and was nursing many hurts from painful encounters. I spend most of my days going to work at a temp contract with the department of Environmental Protection and worried about the recipes I make for my sister and kind of enjoying cooking and feeling like it's the only real outlet I have. this book dealt head on with a lot of serious things that encounter all families and women, but the world really does kick black women when they are down. I know I was, repeatedly. From Alice Walker to physicians like Vanessa Northington Gamble, to essays about Lupus this is really a comprehensive look of stories and testimonies. I really recommend everyone to read it. Having graduated with my masters in Public Health last year, I read about how incredibly gatekept and segregated physicians and aspiring health professionals were purposefully and systemically kept back, all while coming home to distress and diseases wrecking their families, mothers, and grandmothers. Non-communicable disease, faith and miracles all are in these testimonies.
my intention for my next few reads is to get through my stack of health related books as I navigate job search in Public Health. Health is wealth and I pray I am finally, finally able to have peace in my mind and that it stays.
November 4, 2024
Real stories from real women from all walks of life. Touches on mental and physical health/ external and internal factors to black women's health. Has a section of Audre Lords writings in it, which I enjoyed. I really like how this was put together and I recommend it to everyone that I know.
April 10, 2009
still working on this one... i purchased this at the same time i purchased how to spot a dangerious man... i was going through a thing.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews