Gloria T. Hull

Dense, practical, and full of resources, this collection is an ideal starting place for anyone looking to create courses, programming, or departments centered on Black Women's Studies or to study the development of Black Women's Studies in the US. As someone in neither category, I sometimes struggled with the text as I came into it expecting less of a guide to doing Black Women's Studies and more of an anthology of works by Black women that could be used in Black Women's Studies programs. show more Nevertheless, I appreciated getting a sense of how the work that I'm doing in my field to create the education that doesn't yet exist has in both conscious and unconscious ways been built on the legacy of other Black women educators and how I can continue to extrapolate strategies used by such educators to my work as an LGBTQ+ educator and school counselor. I also appreciated the plethora of resources recommended in this book and will definitely be searching out many of them to continue my learning. show less

I've had this book for years but ever so often I revisit it. I'm always inspired and amazed when I do. Essential reading for men and women of all backgrounds.

One of my favourite poems in this collection is called Soothing an Unquiet Spirit.

Stay still as banana leaves
when no breeze is blowing
Listen carefully to the trees
as they begin to talk,
Their counsel suspended
in a gentle patois

Don't think---
Don't think---
Just feel