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Now more than ever, the strong, independent, courageous voices of Black women are being heard loud and clear. They share their truth about life, love, family, faith and hope in these 101 personal stories and 12 powerful poems. The world is listening. Black women are speaking, for themselves and their families, and everyone is listening. This unique collection of stories is for readers of all colors, not just the Black community, as these contributors share their dreams, their triumphs and failures, and their lives, which have unique challenges and hardships that are not well understood by others. Readers of color will recognize their own struggles in these pages, and white readers will benefit from an inside view of Black life in America, Canada and beyond. These 101 stories and 12 poems, written by and for Black women, cover it all—from fierce to funny—about hopes and dreams, fears and realities, identity and self-discovery, family, children, even hair. Each one starts with a quote connecting you to a wellspring of wisdom from historical and contemporary Black women. “We are speaking now,” says Breena Clarke, coauthor of this book. “Because the moment is now, in this collection of first-person narratives. This is an opportunity to hear the often silenced voices of Black women, writing for you and because of you. These are stories of universal human experiences but also reflect the specificity of Black women's lives in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.” Everyone will benefit from this look into the culture, wisdom, and everyday reality of the Black experience, with 11 chapters, each starting with a powerful poem: • The Shoulders We Stand On • Where We Come From • Everyday Struggles • Stand Up, Speak Out • Raising Our Children • Family & Food for the Soul • Taking Care of Me • Sisters, Friends • Loving Black Men • Identity & Roots • Self-Discovery Chicken Soup for the Soul books are 100% made in the USA and each book includes stories from as diverse a group of writers as possible. Chicken Soup for the Soul solicits and publishes stories from the LGBTQ community and from people of all ethnicities, nationalities, and religions.

A literary snapshot written by the city's citizens that serves as an intimate reminder “that strength of character abounds in the Cleveland community” (Freshwater Cleveland). The past few years have been full of stories about Cleveland's ongoing revitalization and renewal, mostly from people from outside the city. This collection of essays, photographs, and poems offers an insiders'view, telling the story of the city as it actually exists on the ground. Citizens of Cleveland will connect to the experiences and locales detailed here. Readers from outside the area will gain invaluable insight into what it means to live in here, why the city is loved or hated, and why some people obsess over it. The collection looks at popular Cleveland attractions like Harvey Pekar and the Cuyahoga River, but also looks at life on the Number 9 bus and the delis of Slavic Village. Through photographs, essays, and poetry, the collection questions the notion of “Rust Belt Chic” and the truth behind that statement. It includes contributions by: David C. Barnett, Sean Decatur, Mansfield Frazier, David Giffels, Alissa Nutting, Jim Roakakis, Connie Schultz, and many more. A wide-ranging portrait of a city of contradictions, written by those who have lived the story. “Touching always on the idea of a post-industrial landscape as a form of innate and historical beauty and integrity, this book creates a genuine and intimate look at Cleveland. Those who hail from “rust belt” cities like Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Milwaukee will find a special place in their hearts for this book.” —Riffle NonFiction

“This anthology of prose, poetry, and essays is written by... [a] wide ethnic array of voices that truly shows the facets of Detroit life.” —Ebony Magazine A unique perspective of the Motor City, this anthology combines stories told by both longtime residents and newcomers from activists to teachers to artists to students. While Detroit has always been rich in stories, too often those stories are told back to the city by outsiders looking in, believing they can explain Detroit back to itself. As editor, Anna Clark writes in the introduction, “These are the stories we tell each other over late nights at the pub and long afternoons on the porch. We share them in coffee shops, at church social hours, in living rooms, and while waiting for the bus. These are stories full of nodding asides and knowing laughs. These are stories addressed to the rhetorical ‘you'—with the ratcheted-up language that comes with it—and these are stories that took real legwork to investigate... You will not find ‘positive'stories about Detroit in this collection, or ‘negative'ones. But you will find true stories.” Featuring essays, photographs, art, and poetry by Grace Lee Boggs, John Carlisle, Desiree Cooper, Dream Hampton, Steve Hughes, Jamaal May, Tracie McMillan, Marsha Music, Shaka Senghor, Thomas J. Sugrue, and many others. “Offers from-the-heart and on-the-ground views of life in America's Motor City.” —The Boston Globe “A thrilling success. It gives voice to people who now live or once lived in this fascinating, tortured place, the survivors, good people who know what pain is, people who understand that the city exerts an undying pull on them.” —The Millions