Sources of Stress and Relief for African American Women

African American women are dying younger—and at a higher rate—than their white counterparts. Collins shows us how stress plays a role in many of the most common fatal diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes. Studies worldwide have revealed the relationship of stress to disease, citing evidence that African American women may be wired for stress.

Written from an afrocentric point of view, Collins's volume investigates sources of stress in the home and workplace. She reviews historical events that planted roots of stress for African American women, including slavery, racism, and the economic and social pressures currently facing African American men. Collins also understands the subtle, everyday stressors that are not typically heralded in history or medical books: standing for minutes at a department store counter, or waiting for help, only to be bypassed by a clerk aiming to wait on a white person who has just arrived. This book offers methods of stress reduction from a popular walking program to biofeedback, meditation, massage, yoga, and breathing exercises. Also highlighted are foods that contribute to stress and herbs that may help eliminate it.

CATHERINE FISHER COLLINS is Associate Professor of Community and Human Services at the State University of New York, Empire State College. She is also Adjunct Professor in the Women's Studies Department at the State University of New York and immediate past National Vice President for Jack and Jill of America, Inc., an organization for African American families.