"Based on the African American women's voices project"--Cover. Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-326) and index.

The roots of shifting -- The pain of gender silence : "I am Black but ain't I a woman?" -- The many shifts of Black women -- Seeking a voice : the language and message of Black women -- The Sisterella complex : Black women and depression -- Doing double duty : Black women in the world of work -- "Mirror, mirror on the wall" : Black women and beauty -- Forging a delicate balance : romance and relationships between Black women and men -- The ABCs of shifting : mothering Black children -- "Can I get a witness?" : Black women and the church -- Afterword -- Appendix: The African American Women's Voices Project. "Based on the African American Women's Voices Project, Shifting reveals that a large number of African American 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 speech. They shift "White" as they head to work in the morning and "Black" as they come back home each night. They shift inward, internalizing the searing pain of the negative stereotypes that they encounter daily. And sometimes they shift by fighting back"--amazon.com.