We often avoid self-help books or doubt their effectiveness because, for years, the literary industry has been designed by and for white voices.
Fortunately times have changed, our communities have carved out a niche for themselves in all areas and today the literary world is different.
You are reading: Self help books for black women
which is why this list of self-help books written by black women is more important than ever.
they are personal stories, unique views and trips through the valley of pain that make us feel seen and represented.
“pleasure activism: the politics of feeling good (emerging strategy)” by adrienne maree brown
This book, authored and edited by Adrienne Maree Brown, takes us on a journey of rediscovering the relationships between our bodies, pleasure, and politics. aims to show us ways to approach various kinds of pleasure and release, and justice.
Whether you find pleasure through sex, drugs, self-care, your wardrobe, your job, or your relationship with pleasure while battling cancer, “pleasure activism” suggests recognizing pleasure as a measure of freedom. it helps us explore what makes us feel good and how to achieve more of it and reduce the obstacles we have or impose on ourselves in our pursuit of pleasure.
This, of course, has to be both personal and collective, as is the nature of true activism.
“activism of pleasure” is available in kindle, print and audio format here.
“year of the yes: how to dance, stand in the sun and be your own person” by shonda rhimes
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shonda rhimes, the creator, writer and executive producer behind grey’s anatomy, private practice and (most recently) the invention of anna – in short, one of the most influential people in the world of television – wrote this book as a testimony of the year you decided to do things differently; when she chose not to let fear make her calls for her.
this book is a delight to read as the shonda series is a delight to watch; shows us shonda’s experiment when she decided to say “yes” to the things that made her most nervous, instead of saying “no” out of fear. The hilarious, heartwarming, and intimate style of this book won’t let you stop, and in the meantime, as you learn about Shonda’s life, you’ll be asking yourself some serious questions.
“year of yes” is available in kindle, print and audio versions here.
“what i know for sure” by oprah winfrey
“what i know for sure” is a collection of fourteen-year-old columns published in o, oprah magazine. These reissued columns are meditations on joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, wonder, clarity, and power that allow you to dig deeper into these themes and use the tools you need to work. that day.
this is the kind of book worth reading as an oracle and hearing what oprah has learned through her experiences. you can open it every day to a random page and see what gift they give you to reflect on each day.
“what I know for sure” is available in kindle and audio versions here.
“Parenting for Liberation: A Guide to Raising Black Children” by Trina Greene Brown
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The fact that black parents have to consider additional difficulties in raising a child – a highly complex task for any committed parent – is painful proof of how pervasive structural racism is.
As Trina Greene Brown observed and analyzed her own parenting behaviors, such as asking her seven-year-old son to report every ten to fifteen minutes that he was still alive whenever he went out to play with his friends, she too tried to understand its deeper origin, the conscious or subconscious consequences for your child, and how to do things differently.
The challenge is huge, but the reward of breeding for freedom is even greater.
“paternity for liberation” is available in kindle and audio version here.
“the body is not an apology, second edition: the power of radical self-love” by sonya renee taylor
the body is not an apology movement is proof that poetry changes lives and can help thousands to continue living. sonya renee taylor came up with the phrase “your body is no excuse” while she was preparing for a poetry contest with her teammate natasha, who has cerebral palsy. trying to comfort her, a ray of light and understanding united them.
“your body is not an apology” made natasha feel understood and gave her the safe space she needed to cry, but it also made sonya look at herself and see that she didn’t have to apologize for the size, the shape or color of your body.
This was the beginning of the radical idea of self-love described in this book. and while you decide to take the time to read it, enjoy sonya’s poetry:
“the body is not an apology” is available in kindle and audio version here.
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