I have found this book to be not only educational, but highly entertaining and pertient toward my life. It address issues that affect every woman, but pinpoints Afro-American women specifically by tackling issues from sexual abuse to homosexuality, and the way these issues play themselves out in the black community as a whole. The editor Evelyn C. White has done a great job of empowering women to not be afraid of being black in today's America. By choosing to include viewpoints from authors like Zora Neale Hurston and Beverly Smith,it becomes evident that black women have always found a way to take care of themselves; even when professional medicial care was not an option, their resolution stood tall in the face of adversity. One of the best stories was by a young woman as she recounted her concerns about going to a predominantly white, male medical school in Philadelphia. She had to deal with multiple demons. Not only did she have blantant racism staring her in the face from classmates not so professionally "neutral" in their views of what roles a black woman should hold in society, but the inner doubt that she was betraying the community that she came from, who weren't always treated fairly. This anthology talks about how black women face obstacles few other ethnic groups encounter on a daily basis. Most important of these being the disapproval of the black community within in this country, that doesn't always realize that we do have a voice, and intend to use it for the greater good of women everywhere, but most importantly ourselves.

Chain Chain Change is a self help book that provides extremely helpful information to black women in abusive relationships. White repeatedly enforces the idea that abuse is not the woman's fault and that it should not be tolerated. Throughout the book the reader is given small bits of helpful information and hints that may be just enough to to get a woman out of an abusive relationship. This book can be helpful to women of all ethnicities. White does however focus on the "history" of abuse in the relationships if blacks especially focusing on the racism blacks face and how that affects their self esteem. She says that such treatment can often lead a black man to feel helpless and powerless, lead him to feel as though he is unable to provide from his family. These types of emotions are what White says can often lead a black man to violence. She also stresses that black women should not worry about causing rifts in the black community if they were to report domestic violence, as they are so often told is what will happen ; when reporting violence, they should worry about their own physical and mental well being as well as their childrens; they are the ones in immediate danger. One other extremely important aspect of this book, which is new to the recent edition, is the section on abuse in lesbian relationships. By including this section White shows that abuse happens in all forms of relationships, and lets the reader know that help is available.