From Stumbling Blocks to Stepping Stones: The Life Experiences of Fifty Professional African American Women / Edition 1

by Kathleen F. Slevin, C. Ray Wingrove

Overview

Whether in popular culture, academic research, or public consciousness, African American women are often defined by their presumed poverty or lack of education. In this unique antidote to public perception, Kathleen F. Slevin and C. Ray Wingrove focus on the experiences of an unusual group of pioneers: one of the first generations of African American women to work as white-collar professionals, retire in considerable comfort, and remain actively and fruitfully involved, as older women, in their respective communities.
Through the voices of these women, we come to understand the impact of social systems on individual lives and to appreciate how the legacies provided these women by their families, teachers, churches, and communities endowed them with the survival tools needed to succeed, despite the prejudice and "stumbling blocks" they encountered along the way. Slevin and Wingrove explore how the lessons of childhood–choosing battles, avoiding hurtful Whites, striving for economic independence, and projecting self-confidence and racial pride–translate to adulthood as they recount the ups and downs of being successful African American women.
Kathleen F. Slevin is Associate Professor of Sociology at the College of William and Mary. C. Ray Wingrove is Professor of Sociology at the University of Richmond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814781005
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	09/01/1998
Pages:	187
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.45(d)

About the Author

Kathleen F. Slevin is Associate Professor of Sociology at the College of William and Mary.

C. Ray Wingrove is Professor of Sociology at the University of Richmond.

What People are Saying About This

Melvin P. Sikes

A book that speaks to all of us, across lines of race and gender.

From the Publisher

"Powerful and very important."

-John Sibley Butler,University of Texas, Austin

"A book that speaks to all of us, across lines of race and gender."

-Melvin P. Sikes,

"This book will be informative and rewarding reading for students and professors alike."

-Gender and Society

John Sibley Butler

Powerful and very important.
—John Sibley Butler, University of Texas, Austin

Editorial Reviews

"A book that speaks to all of us, across lines of race and gender."

Melvin P. Sikes

"This book will be informative and rewarding reading for students and professors alike."

Gender and Society

"Powerful and very important."

John Sibley Butler

"This book will be informative and rewarding reading for students and professors alike."

-Gender and Society

"A book that speaks to all of us, across lines of race and gender."

-Melvin P. Sikes

"Powerful and very important."

-John Sibley Butler,University of Texas, Austin

From the Publisher

Pioneers in the work world, the women featured here "are models for young women of today who are just beginning the journey they have completed." Now retired, they share their stories of survival and resistance with the authors, both sociology professors. The issues they consider include church, education, and the world of work.

Library Journal