Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman

Tamara Beauboeuf-Lafontant is Associate Professor of Sociology and Education Studies at DePauw University.  She is co-editor of Facing Racism in Education, 2nd edition.

• Introduction: A Half-Told Tale of Black Womanhood 1. More Than “the Historical, the Monolithic Me”: Deconstructing Strong Black Womanhood 2. Living the Lies: Embodying “Good” Womanhood 3. Keeping up Appearances: The Performance of Strength 4. Lies Make Us Sick: Embodied Distress Among Strong Black Women 5. Coming to Voice: Transcending Strength Epilogue: Mules No More, Just “Levelly Human”: A Societal Challenge Acknowledgments Appendix: Table of Participants

“Behind the Mask of the Strong Black Woman makes an important contribution to the literature. No other work systematically studies the ways black women internalize and resist strong black woman discourse. Beauboeuf-Lafontant convincingly argues that investment in the strong black woman myth injures black women and strengthens the racist divisions between women.”-Maxine Craig, author of Ain’t I a Beauty Queen?: Black Women, Beauty, and the Politics of Race