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.