About the Book
Black women are the single most religious demographic in the United States, yet they are among the poorest, least educated, and least healthy groups in the nation. Drawing on the author's own past experience as an evangelical minister and her present work as a secular counselor and researcher, The Ebony Exodus Project makes a direct connection between the church and the plight of black women. Through interviews with African American women who have left the church, the author reveals the shame and suffering often caused by the church—and the resulting happiness, freedom, and sense of purpose these women have felt upon walking away from it. This book calls on other black women to honestly reflect on their relationship with religion and challenges them to consider that perhaps the answers to their problems rest not inside a church, but in themselves.
About the Author
Details
ISBN: 978-1939578020 (paperback)
SRP: $14.95
Page count: 224 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: September 2013
Ebook availability: Yes
Audiobook availability: Yes
Preface. Introduction. On Religion in the Black Community. Bria’s Story. Crystal’s Story. On Mental Health and Emotional Health. Janet’s Story. Tania’s Story. On Physical Health. Ivori’s Story. Raina’s Story. On Sex. Heather’s Story. Stephanie’s Story. On Cognitive Distortions. Mandisa’s Story. Debbie’s Story. On Moving Forward. Appendix 1: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. Appendix 2: Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Appendix 3: Thinking Patterns Inventory. Resource Guide. Notes. Select Bibliography. Index. About the Author.
Contents
“Candace Gorham shows incredible courage as she exposes the insidious messages the Black Church programs into its parishioners. She reveals the depths to which the African-American community is infected with self-defeating messages and looks specifically at the consequences of superstitious behavior on the health, finances, sex lives, and relationships of black women. Any woman (or man) would do well to read this book and learn how religion uses powerful psychological tools to manipulate and control—and how this indoctrination impacts our entire culture.
—Dr. Darrel Ray, author of Sex and God and The God Virus
Candace R. M. Gorham, LPC, is a researcher, teacher, and credentialed counselor who has worked with children, adolescents, and their families for more than ten years. She holds a master's degree from Wake Forest University.
On the Slopes
Candace Gorham discusses The Ebony Exodus Project
The Ebony Exodus Project named top book of 2013
Interview
