Synopsis

In this open love letter to black women everywhere, Michael Eric Dyson celebrates the strength and beauty of African-American women. From Miss James, his grammar school teacher, to Linda Johnson Rice, who heads the communications empire that publishes Ebony and Jet; from Toni Morrison, whose novels inspired him, as a young welfare dad, to Debbie Bethea, the housecleaner whose labors remind him of his mother in Detroit; from civil rights widow Myrlie Evers-Williams to activist and scholar Angela Davis-and many more-the women in Dyson's pantheon inspire us to remember, "When we love black women, we love ourselves, and the God who made us."

KaaVonia Hinton - KLIATT

This is a much-needed tribute to the black woman. A prominent minister, scholar, and writer, Dyson seems to suggest that there are still some successful black men who value black women. In a rather lengthy chapter titled "Another Saturday Night, or, Have All the Brothers Gone to White Women?" he attempts to make sense of the plight of young, professional black women who are single because there are few black men interested in dating them. He traces this debate by sharing personal discussions with black women and commentary found in leading magazines targeted to black audiences. He does not offer solutions. Instead, he separates himself from the brothers who have decided that black women are not suitable companions. In 18 other equally sentimental and often humorous chapters, he describes a number of black women whom he loves because of their beauty, intelligence and the way they positively impacted his life. From classroom teachers and women he has met around the country to childhood television and music icons and revolutionaries such as Angela Davis and Assata Shakur, Dyson leaves no black woman out. He also writes about women closer to home, including his third wife. He takes great care to describe the accomplishments of these women, their physical attributes and how he came to know them, but he also devotes a great deal of the book to cultural criticism. He explores sensitive yet timely issues often debated within black communities, such as intraracism, illiteracy and black male imprisonment. While Dyson is a bit verbose, black women young and old will appreciate his commitment to helping the public see them as he sees them: loving, complex, strong, and intelligent. KLIATT Codes:SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Perseus, Basic Books, 314p. index., Ages 15 to adult.

Biography

Michael Eric Dyson, named by Ebony as one of the hundred most influential black Americans, is the author of sixteen books, including Holler if You Hear Me, Is Bill Cosby Right? and I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. He is currently University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, D.C.