What Don't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger ― African American Women and Suicide

In this book, black women speak for themselves about their life struggles and their notions of suicide. Within a framework that explores racial and gender inequalities, Spates uses interviews to uncover reasons for what she calls the 'racial suicide paradox.' Spates shows that despite decades of harmful social disparity, black women's suicide rates have remained virtually non-existent compared to the rest of the American population, baffling social scientists. What Don't Kill Us Makes Us Stronger offers a deeper understanding of the positive strategies, including family and faith, that underlie black women's resilience and provides insights into the impact of a variety of racial and gender inequalities, highlighting a positive image of black women and their resilience in an overwhelmingly hostile society.

Dr. Kamesha Spates is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Kent State University. Her current research interests include the intersections of race, class, and gender, the African American experience, criminology, mental health, and qualitative methodologies.