Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem (Paperback)
From the late feminist icon and New York Times bestselling author of All About Love, bell hooks takes an in-depth look at one of the most critical issues facing black people in America: a collective wounded self-esteem that has prevailed from slavery to the present day.
“Each offering from bell hooks is a major event, as she has so much to give us.” —Maya Angelou
Why do so many African-Americans—whether privileged or poor, urban or suburban, young or old—live in a state of chronic anxiety, fear, and shame? Rock My Soul breaks through collective denial and dares to tell this truth: that crippling low self-esteem has reached epidemic proportions in our lives and in our diverse communities. With visionary insight, hooks exposes the underlying reality that it has been difficult—if not impossible—for us to create a culture that promotes and sustains healthy self-esteem.
Moving beyond a discussion of race, she identifies diverse barriers keeping us from well-being: the trauma of abandonment, constant shaming, and the loss of personal integrity. Offering critical insight and hard won wisdom about what it takes to heal the scars of the past, promote and maintain self-esteem, and lay down the roots for a grounded community with a prosperous future, hooks gets to the heart and soul of the African American identity crisis. In highlighting the role of desegregation, education, the absence of progressive parenting, spiritual crisis, and fundamental breakdowns in communication, hooks identifies mental health as the new revolutionary frontier—and provides guidance for healing within the black community.
From the late feminist icon and New York Times bestselling author of All About Love, bell hooks takes an in-depth look at one of the most critical issues facing black people in America: a collective wounded self-esteem that has prevailed from slavery to the present day.
“Each offering from bell hooks is a major event, as she has so much to give us.” —Maya Angelou
Why do so many African-Americans—whether privileged or poor, urban or suburban, young or old—live in a state of chronic anxiety, fear, and shame? Rock My Soul breaks through collective denial and dares to tell this truth: that crippling low self-esteem has reached epidemic proportions in our lives and in our diverse communities. With visionary insight, hooks exposes the underlying reality that it has been difficult—if not impossible—for us to create a culture that promotes and sustains healthy self-esteem.
Moving beyond a discussion of race, she identifies diverse barriers keeping us from well-being: the trauma of abandonment, constant shaming, and the loss of personal integrity. Offering critical insight and hard won wisdom about what it takes to heal the scars of the past, promote and maintain self-esteem, and lay down the roots for a grounded community with a prosperous future, hooks gets to the heart and soul of the African American identity crisis. In highlighting the role of desegregation, education, the absence of progressive parenting, spiritual crisis, and fundamental breakdowns in communication, hooks identifies mental health as the new revolutionary frontier—and provides guidance for healing within the black community.
From the late feminist icon and New York Times bestselling author of All About Love, bell hooks takes an in-depth look at one of the most critical issues facing black people in America: a collective wounded self-esteem that has prevailed from slavery to the present day.
“Each offering from bell hooks is a major event, as she has so much to give us.” —Maya Angelou
Why do so many African-Americans—whether privileged or poor, urban or suburban, young or old—live in a state of chronic anxiety, fear, and shame? Rock My Soul breaks through collective denial and dares to tell this truth: that crippling low self-esteem has reached epidemic proportions in our lives and in our diverse communities. With visionary insight, hooks exposes the underlying reality that it has been difficult—if not impossible—for us to create a culture that promotes and sustains healthy self-esteem.
Moving beyond a discussion of race, she identifies diverse barriers keeping us from well-being: the trauma of abandonment, constant shaming, and the loss of personal integrity. Offering critical insight and hard won wisdom about what it takes to heal the scars of the past, promote and maintain self-esteem, and lay down the roots for a grounded community with a prosperous future, hooks gets to the heart and soul of the African American identity crisis. In highlighting the role of desegregation, education, the absence of progressive parenting, spiritual crisis, and fundamental breakdowns in communication, hooks identifies mental health as the new revolutionary frontier—and provides guidance for healing within the black community.