Psychology of Black Womanhood - by Danielle Dickens & Dionne Stephens (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

An authoritative, jargon-free, affordable, and holistic exploration of interdisciplinary psychological and sociological research on the diversity and complexity of Black girls and women's intersectional lived experiences across the lifespan, with implications for practice in counseling, social work, education, advocacy, and policy.

Review Quotes

Psychology of Black Womanhood sets a new standard for textbooks addressing the Black experience from a Black perspective, with all audiences in mind. Dickens and Stephens showcase a brilliant breadth of multidisciplinary material examining the full spectrum of Black womanhood, in all its fierce complexity, with global sophistication. This book has an important place not only in classrooms, but also in bookshelves, book groups, and bedside tables--anywhere, inside or outside the academy, that people come together to better understand and more deeply appreciate Black women.

A first of its kind comprehensive academic text, Psychology of Black Womanhood opens a door for readers to take seriously the lives of Black women and scholarship about them. Covering the breadth and depth of scholarship in the field, readers are invited to consider for the first time and/or to deepen their awareness of topics related to Black women's psychology, such as health, love, and relationships; leadership; motherhood; and more. Learning tools such as the chapter glossary and group discussion questions facilitate guided learning for groups and individuals.

A must-read for anyone teaching psychology of women and gender courses. This is the first undergraduate text I've read on the topic that doesn't discuss Black women's experiences in a peripheral fashion.

Finally! A textbook we can use in our courses that centers on the experiences of Black women as we psychologically and physically navigate through various terrains in life. Drs. Dickens and Stephens have done an outstanding job of synthesizing the literature on Black womanhood. They have masterfully crafted sixteen chapters that discuss a plethora of topics from an intersectional perspective and are all grounded in culturally relevant frameworks. This text will appeal to those both inside and outside of academia. It is a must-read for all committed to acknowledging, understanding, and uplifting the unique experiences of Black womanhood.

This pioneering co-authored book, Psychology of Black Womanhood, is the most compelling, comprehensive, thorough classroom text I have had the pleasure of reading during my decades-long career as a Black feminist scholar/activist. While grounded in the discipline of Psychology, it is also interdisciplinary in its conceptual framework, attentive to a broad range of issues that defy easy categories, and bold in its analyses of complex matters that impact Black women across difference. Professors in various classrooms are likely to adopt this textbook, including African American Studies, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and American Studies.

This text is refreshing in its focus on centering and exemplifying the experiences of Black women. It highlights critical work that I have not seen compiled in this way before. The authors use language that will immediately connect with Black students, scholars, and faculty, and they provide research that allows for an in-depth exploration of each topic. This book promises to give faculty new insights for teaching, not only through use of this text, but also in thinking about such an array of topics that uniquely impact Black women.

This text is truly a one-of-a-kind original contribution that brings theories on intersectionality into ownership, agency, and practice. The co-authors approach the topic with intellectual rigor and cultural awareness. Urgently needed!

About the Author

Danielle Dickens, PhD is associate professor of psychology at Spelman College. Dr. Dickens uses an interdisciplinary approach and pulls together her knowledge and experience as an instructor, researcher, and mentor around the intersectional issues of race/ethnicity, gender, age, and class in higher education and the workplace. As a Black feminist social psychologist, her research focuses on the identity development and identity formation of Black women and how they navigate the world. She utilizes qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine Black women's intersectional identities, with an emphasis on their experiences in the workplace, higher education, and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Dr. Dickens is most interested in examining how Black women engage in identity shifting as a coping strategy, and the benefits and costs of identity shifting on Black women's physical and mental health. In her second line of research, Dickens examines the social-psychological determinants of academic and career development of Black women. These projects have been funded from agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, American Psychological Foundation, and Goldman Sachs. She is a recipient of several awards, such as the 2019 American Psychological Association (APA) Division 35 Mary Roth Walsh Teaching the Psychology of Women Award, the 2020 APA Division 35 Section 1 Psychology of Black Women Foremothers Mentorship Early Career Award, and the 2023 Women of Color Initiative Outstanding Faculty Impact Award.
Dionne Stephens, PhD is a professor of psychology at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami. She holds affiliated faculty member status in FIU's Latin American & Caribbean Studies and Women and Gender Studies Programs, and the Centre for Critical Qualitative Health Research at the University of Toronto. A Black social justice scholar, Dr. Stephens is specifically interested in identifying socio-historical and contextual factors influencing marginalized populations' health decision making processes. A hallmark of her work is the centering of collaborative and participatory research partnerships with community organizations in Miami, Toronto, Cartagena, and Mysuru. These projects have been funded by such agencies as the National Institutes for Health (NIH), American Psychological Association (APA), and Facebook/Meta. In recognition of her achievements, Dr. Stephens has received numerous national awards, including the APA's Mid-Career Award for Multicultural Psychology, APA's Distinguished Contributions to Teaching & Mentoring in Qualitative Inquiry, APA Division 35 Section 1 Psychology of Black Women Foremothers Mentorship Career Award, the NIH Fogarty Center Global Health Equity Scholars' Faculty Fellowship, and the National Institute for Teaching & Mentoring Faculty Mentor of the Year, among others.