Too Heavy a Yoke Quotes

“A hallmark of contemporary Christian theology is its view that the fundamental sin of humanity is pride, that is, preoccupation with the self. In contrast, love, particularly Christian love, is assumed to be entirely self-giving and devoid of concern about the self. These teachings, however, bear a particular danger—that of martyrdom—for African-American women who are socialized to live, love, and labor under the weight of atoning for the “sins” of the race as imagined by White patriarchal racism.”
― Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength

“The modern church encourages African-American women to keep others’ vineyards, while neglecting their own, in two ways: by venerating Black women’s performance of strength and depending upon women’s labor and financial support to maintain the church, without providing equal opportunity for Black women to exercise their gifts in ministerial leadership; and by distorting Scripture in a way that encourages suffering and self-sacrifice among Black women.”
― Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength

“Where is the space for lamenting the suffering of African-American women in a theological and societal context that teaches them that their contemporary suffering is divinely ordained and is the salvation of the race?”
― Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength