Customer Reviews

Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was one of my references for my Master's Thesis. This topic and the research was so relevant and so compelling and true. I am an African-American woman and I have worked inside Corporate America for the past 23 years and yes I shift. I also find myself shifting with Black men, shifting with middle and upper class blacks, and shifting with members of my family who live in the worst parts of the inner city. It is an emotionally and psychologically grueling process--and most of the world doesn't have a clue about the nature of it all. During the process of writing my thesis, my college advisors, who are White feminists, couldn't understand why I wouldn't jump on their bandwagon and give race the obligatory mention that they did. They wanted all women to unite and fight White, male hegemony--never recognizing the White, female hegemony that exists inside Women's Studies Departments. They couldn't understand that the sexism that I experience is totally different from the sexism that they experience because my sexism always has that element of race--even if it's a Black man dealing it. Black women are accustomed to shifting, it's almost a cellular memory for us now. We continue to strive and grow, although we are the most maligned segment of society. African American Studies departments are dominated by African American males and Women's Studies departments are dominated by White females, usually feminists. I found my ability to study topics relevant to Black women severely hampered by the censorship of White female academics--Shifting was a real gem for me. Books like this have a hard time passing academic muster because the academicians giving or withholding approval have no frame of reference for the experience--so of course they dismiss it as inconsequential. Isn't it amazing that in this day and age there are no African American Women's Studies departments in any university anywhere in the U.S. If that doesn't demonstrate our position in society--what does? Where is our unique and distinct voice? This wonderful book is a start. Hats off to a great piece of work.

In SHIFTING, noted psychologist Kumea Shorter-Gooden and newspaper correspondent Charisse Jones take a sobering look at what they hypothesize is a uniquely African-American phenomenon. "Shifting" is the terminology they use to label behaviors they classify as a coping strategy, developed by women of color, to deal with race and gender bias in a largely white, male dominated culture.

The authors use research, interviews and surveys to show how African American women are forced to lead double lives in their efforts to assimilate into a society that tends to marginalize and stereotype them and their abilities. This book does a remarkable job of raising awareness on how the lives of these women are impacted in their communities, the workplace, and other areas such as child rearing, religion, personal grooming, and even amorous relationships.

SHIFTING is an outstanding collaboration between two noteworthy women that deals with a mostly unaddressed but nonetheless troubling issue from the perspective of the victims. The book makes for a very interesting read and imparts a wealth of information regarding the ongoing plight of people of color in a society deeply scarred by racism and sexism.

Reviewed by Autumn
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Race scholar W.E.B. DuBois presented his veil of double consciousness theory in The Souls of Black Folk. Literary genius Ralph Ellison presented a heart-wrenching story of socioeconomic injustice with Invisible Man. Now, it's time for the sistahs to be heard. And, be heard they will! With Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America (HarperCollins, $13.95), Charisse Jones and Kumea Shorter-Gooden present a unique critique of African American social agenda reform, as it relates to the eclectic character and resilience of African American women.

Together Jones, an accomplished national correspondent for USA Today, and Shorter-Gooden, a licensed psychologist and professor at Alliant University, cleverly discuss the inspirational swagger and inherent splendor that embodies the essence of African American women. Shifting, based on the African American Women's Voices Project, takes the reader on a much-needed journey of spiritual, economic, political, and social importance. Absolute brilliance most accurately describes the excellent scholarly writing, which combined with commentary, interviews, and shocking statistics is sure to keep readers engaged. The stories of insight, pain, joy, and confusion by and about African American women of diverse backgrounds and experiences are eye-opening and jaw-dropping, to say the least.

On a daily basis African American women are forced to deal with a multitude of catch-22s, including, but not limited to, sexual exploitation and expectation, gender discrimination, and pseudo-creative representation in the entertainment field. Yet, they seem to effortlessly rise about the conditions of their oppressors. How tough is it for African American women to find their true identity in a society that historically relegates their worth to that of second-class citizenship? Many of us have no clue. Shifting provides crucial insight into these women's obstacles. Legendary jazz vocalist Lena Horne once said, "It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." Jones and Shorter-Gooden discuss the origins and inherited responsibilities of the load that Black women in America carry; in addition to suggesting healthier techniques that can be used to lighten the burden of the load, while improving one's overall quality of life.

With thought-provoking chapters, such as "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall": Black Women and Beauty, "Can I Get a Witness?" - Black Women and the Church, and Doing Double Duty: Black Women in the World of Work, this critical assessment is sure to challenge, educate, and help influence views about the strength and endurance that are needed for Black women in America not only to exist, but succeed. Shifting is a powerful book indeed. It certainly will spark long awaited rap sessions and debates amongst the sexes, as a means of changing the ways African Americans interact with and perceive one another.

In addressing the state of relationships between African American males and females, notable scholar Manning Marable stated that "the black man will only reach his full potential when he learns to draw upon the strengths and insights of the black woman." Shifting is a step in the right direction towards dismantling the matrix of racism and injustice that have plagued Black women in America for so long.

Shifting is dead-on in describing the conflicts and struggles of Black women in America. This a must-read for anyone who does any kind of counseling or therapuetic work with African-American women. It is also an informative read for anyone who deals with Black women (in any context) and for those who just simply want to be more informed about the real, day-to-day living struggles common to most Black women.

This book gives a VERY accurate account what black women face and encounter in our day to day lives!!

From the time that we get up in the morning, facing our families, to then "shifting" to work and having to face peers and co-workers, then "shifting" to some other part of life (church, exteneded family, etc.)...the emotional, physical and mental strain is tremendous. Not all go through it, but this book gives a very good "span" of black women and their stories, all ages and geographic locations.

This book is a DEFINITE MUST READ for all!!

The "Shifting" authors, Charisse Jones, USA Today correspondent and Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D., psychologist, did an excellent job in taking research composed from the American Women's Vices Project and putting it into a book using an average reader's language. The book covers many aspects of an African American woman's life and the shifting she goes through to adapt to various professional and personnel situations. Through some of the information is dated it was still informative and in most cases some of the examples are relevant today.

Their writing style was very good and the book's information was grouped adequately with valid life examples to support concepts presented. However, I will say that the majority of the information was depressing. This should tell you something about the lives that African American women face every day.

Overall, I give the book a four rating based on its information, easy read, and real life stories. Except for some editing that was needed to remove some repetitive information, I would recommend this book to any African American woman who wants to know more about African American women work stories and to see how others have dealt with it. Buy this book for the African American woman in your life.

This was a great book. Wonderfully candid and descriptive about the challenges facing black women all across America. The methodology was good and the information retrieved can be likened to a diamond. The anecdotal stories, I think, are quite representative of many black women and although I am a black woman, I actually learned something from this book. The book talks about how black women suffer from the 'double jeopardy' of being both black and female. About how black women have to discern if discrimination is gender or race based and then choose an appropriate course of action. Many women in this book have chosen 'the easy way out' by leaving a job or oppressive situation, but then I ASSume that many black women in America DO choose that route for whatever reason and its good to get that info out there. The writing is clear and engaging. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that its kind of depressing...

I could relate to the stories and the experiences of the these Black women, because I am them. We, unfortunately, have to wear many faces and don masks to survive. It can be stressful having to put on false faces just to survive, hiding your true self, just to make people feel comfortable around you. This reminds me of one of my favorite poems.

Paul Lawrence Dunbar
We Wear the Mask!


We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

The world has no idea of who we really are. My mask is taken off for only a few.

I can't believe they covered as much ground in this one book as they did, but god bless them, because we sisters need this so much. This book is just absolute perfection and I commend the two women who wrote it.

I also want to draw your attention to Marita Golden's book "Don't Play In the Sun" and to anything written by the African (raised by Black Americans) writer Kola Boof, especially her black love story "Flesh and the Devil". These books are new masterpieces that empower and lift the black woman as well as the black man and the black family.

We need this new spirit that is starting.

Shifting is amazing! The relevance of this book in the lives of African American women is so profound its almost scary. Im truly happy that Jones and Shorter-Gooden took the time to focus on the issues and the lives that African American women in this nation. Presenting research-based findings and in a manner that is easy to read by anyone, this book is highly recommended on my list!