Facing the Black Shadow

Why are so many African Americans unhappy in their relationships, in their families and in their own bodies? Facing the Black Shadow is an intimate look at the ways black people struggle against the pervasive belief in black inferiority – the “black shadow.” This groundbreaking book offers a new way to challenge that belief and move from self-blame and self-hate to understanding and empowerment. Written by Dr. Marlene F. Watson, one of the country’s foremost African American couple and family therapists, Facing the Black Shadow is filled with memorable stories and examples from her therapy practice and her own personal journey. Readers will find practical advice, step-by-step exercises and inspiration to transform their relationship to their own “black shadows” and find happiness, connection and healing.

Why are so many African Americans unhappy in their relationships, in their families and in their own bodies? Facing the Black Shadow is an intimate look at how black families, couples and individuals struggle against the pervasive belief in black inferiority – the “black shadow.” This groundbreaking book offers a new way to challenge that belief and move from self-blame and self-hate to understanding and empowerment. Written by Dr. Marlene F. Watson, who is one of the country’s foremost African American couple and family therapists, Facing the Black Shadow is filled with memorable stories and examples from her therapy practice and her own personal journey. With unflinching honesty and a tender eye, she tackles some of the most taboo topics in the African American community: skin-tone privilege and favoritism in black families; the long-term effects of the multigenerational legacy of slavery; the self-hate black people feel when they look in the mirror. Far from being a depressing book, Facing the Black Shadow offers a path for wholeness and happiness. Readers will find practical advice, step-by-step exercises and inspiration to transform their relationship to their own “black shadows” and find inner peace, connection and healing.

Marlene F. Watson is the former Chair and Associate Professor in the Couple and Family Therapy Department at Drexel University in Philadelphia. A licensed couple and family therapist with a private practice, she was the first couple and family therapist ever to receive the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship. A former columnist for Heart & Soul Magazine, she was raised in the Philadelphia area, where she still lives. Marlene is a collector of African and African American art and she delights in mentoring African American and multi-racial young adults. She tries to live by the words of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr: “If I can help somebody as I pass along – then my living will not be in vain.”