Marita Golden’s prescription for Black women and self-care

By Debora Timms

Author, educator and literary activist Marita Golden’s 20th book that will be released June 13 builds on her previous book, which pushed back against the idea that Black women have to be strong all the time.

Her new book, “The New Black Woman: Loves Herself, Has Boundaries, and Heals Every Day,” further pushes the needle against such boxes for Black women.

“Black women, especially, have a tendency to be very invested in giving themselves away totally because it gives them an enormous sense of power,” Ms. Golden said in a recent telephone interview. “But that control and power is at the expense of their health and well-being.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Ms. Golden suffered two silent strokes. She began contemplating her own personal health, as well as the health of Black women in general.

“Given that so much of our experience in this country is proscribed and circumscribed, the health metrics for Black people are actually worse now than before the pandemic,” Ms. Golden said. “We’ve always been in a health emergency in this country.”

Black women in particular are dispropor-