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Writer's pictureJ.E.Wright

July is Mental Health Minority Month- Let's talk about Sisterella

Sisteralla is a brilliant term coined by the authors of the book:

Shifting- The Double Lives of Black Women in America by Charisse Jones and Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D.


The term addresses the common dilemma of Black women, similar to Cinderella; Sisterella accepts the burdens of others and neglects her own needs, assuming a false sense of strength, spiraling into a state of depression, unfulfillment, and identity crisis.


This book does a great job of identifying the various aspects of this non-clinical condition but offers understanding and hope for reprieve. According to the author’s deduction:

Depression is a by-product of unmet needs. It is a result of the failure to meet the needs that every child has for affirmation and for role models of whom she can become. Black women need to be loved, told that they are good, mentored and given resources for success, and freed from the shackles of other people’s prejudices and rigid race-and-gender-based expectations. They need parents who encourage them. They need lovers who will allow them to be at once strong yet vulnerable, proud of what they are capable of, and they must be forthright about where they need help. And they need the larger community and society to bolster them with support and affirmation. It is especially critical that all of us, everyone who loves and cares about Black women, do everything we can to understand the Sisteralla complex, to be aware of when a woman we know could be experiencing its symptoms, and make sure that we give her every opportunity to share what she is going through and receive the expert psychological and psychiatric attention she needs. (Charisse Jones and Kumean Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D. Page 146)


Understanding this issue among Black women is important to consider during Minority Mental Health month as we bring awareness to the needs of Black women as they “do it all,” leaving themselves at risk for mental health crisis. Let’s continue conversations about mental health, and continue to change our attitudes towards seeking the help needed to cope with stressors. While the stigma surrounding mental health is changing, I hope to emphasize the imminent vulnerability of Black woman and the risks of depression and other disorders, due to constant internal and external stressors and expectations. Let’s remain consistent champions for self-care, knowing when to identify falling into stereotypes of unhealthy obligations of strength.




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