This is a text I will go back to again and again. I have bookmarked the appendix as I plan to reflect and journal about this. Good read for anyone who is, loves, works with, or knows a StrongBlackWoman.

I am really, really frustrated by this book. I feel about this book the same way I'd feel about a doctor who finds cancer in one of her patients and proceeds to cover the patient in bandaids. I'll say right not that this is all my opinion, and I'm aware that voicing it might mean that some who read this view me as an oppressor, as part of the problem that Walker-Barnes identifies. But here we go.

This book does two main things: (A) explain the history, manifestations, and implications of the StrongBlackWoman stereotype; and (B) offer some perspectives on how to fight this. Walker-Barnes does (A) really well. Her writing was clear, to-the-point, and utilized real life examples from both personal accounts and popular culture that helped me really see what she was talking about. She gently caused me to reexamine my view of Black women, and helped me see that the stereotype she writes about is present. But then she seems to ignore the reality of eternal life to come, of a God who eternally redeems suffering - though this does not make suffering good, and we should fight to prevent suffering when at all possible - and of the fact that God alone is the true Healer. Additionally, any interpretation of the Bible that leads to moral conclusions different than progressive Christianity's is seen as oppressive and evil. This is not to say that people have not used the Bible to oppress people, including Black women. But this is not the same as saying the Bible itself should be our servant, a set of paints with which we create whatever we like, rather than a painting for us to examine. The author's commitment to not reading the Bible like inerrantist Christians is seen very clear in a couple of cases where she proposes an interpretation as a new idea, when in reality it is the standard interpretation of the text among those who do view the Bible in this way. It should be clear, then, that I believe the author succeeds at (A) but ultimately does not provide non-liberation theologians much to work with in regards to (B). If you are a liberation theologian, then, you'll probably love this. I am not one, and I did not.

2.5/5, because half of it is great and half is not.

I won this one through Goodreads and I am finally getting around to writing about it. This is a thoughtful discussion of the myth of the StrongBlackWoman and the damage that that idea does to Black women in our culture and in our churches. The book is specifically aimed at pastors to help them examine that stereotype and to give them ways to minister to Black women in the church, providing them with space to be vulnerable. I’m not a pastor myself, but it gave me a lot to think about culturally. On a personal level it paired well with Sister Citizen by Melissa Harris-Perry, which I read earlier this year. Recommended for: pastoral caregivers.

Whew...this was amazing! A look at the phenomenon of the StrongBlackWoman in its cultural and historical context, using examples from both the church and the clinic, Dr Walker-Barnes has given us a comprehensive handbook into this mantle that so many black women carry, and offers suggestions (and a 12 step plan!) on how to minister to, and recover from being a StrongBlackWoman.

The best is when you find a book that you can’t put down. “Too Heavy a Yoke” by Chanequa Barnes was recommended to me almost four years ago while I was going through a rough patch during my senior year of college. I’m just now getting to it and I’m so glad I did. As a Black Woman who is currently overcoming the need to be “strong” all of the time, this book has blessed me, and encouraged me not to feel ashamed for needing/asking for help. If you are looking for a Black Womanist perspective on "The Strong Black Woman" and how to care for yourself and others, please pick up this book.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this book was life-changing for me!! Black women are notoriously known for their “strength.” There are beautiful things about this for sure. But when Black women are expected to ALWAYS be strong or to hold their strength in particular ways (I.e - emotional neutrality, hyper interdependence, always taking care of others etc,) it actually begins to break down our bodies and is essentially killing us at alarming rates. Not only that but the StrongBlackWoman archetype has deep roots in racism and sexism in ways that are particular for the Black female body. Dr. Chanequa illustrates this so well in her book and offers ways of healing for the Black woman and for those who love us.

Note: it is a written from a Christian pastoral perspective but in a way that I think is accessible for all.