African American Women = Strong Sense of Self

 

 Self in Community: African American Women's Views of Self-Esteem 

African American women face many challenges to their self-esteem. Among these challenges are racism and sexism. Very little research has been done on the self-esteem of the African American woman. This article looks at the concept of self-esteem from the perspective of adult African American women and focuses specifically on their views around high self-esteem and how they manage to construct and maintain a high sense of self-esteem in their lives. From the qualitative research, two predominant self-esteem needs were discovered: social support and self-reliance. Social support came from their families, friends, churches, and communities. From these sources of support, the women learned to be self-reliant and empowered. Additional important related elements included pride, respect, a positive outlook, and the use of self-talk.

MY QUESTION TO THE CLASS:

In the DeFrancisco article, she refers to research with African American parents and their daughters from various regions throughout the United States and discovered the following...

That by teaching the truth about oppression and accompanying it with strategies of personal resistance to racism and sexism, the girls were empowered in their development of a positive self-image.

Would you agree/disagree with this statement?  Why?

Additionally, with Black families continually being portrayed as a system "in crisis," this article tends to point to the fact that they can ALSO be a source of community support.

What are your feelings around this statement?

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Below is a video which shares positive self-esteem in action through social support and the empowerment of African American women and their community.