Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America

by Charisse Jones and Kumea Shorter-Gooden

Book Overview

Shifting explores the many identities Black women must adopt in various spaces to succeed in America.

Based on the African American Women's Voices Project, Shifting reveals that a large number of Black women feel pressure to compromise their true selves as they navigate America's racial and gender bigotry. Black women "shift" by altering the expectations they have for themselves or their outer appearance. They modify their...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060090553
• ISBN13: 9780060090555
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Such an amazing informative read !!

This book is well written and very informative. It really puts in perspective black women’s experiences through different scenarios throughout the world whether in corporate life, at home, growing up, relationships etc . Definitely recommend reading.

Shifting: Excellent Work

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.

Should be required reading for ALL Americans

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...

A Must Have

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.

The stories are so profound and true!

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!!