| Acknowledgments | p. ix | |
| ôThe Hurricane,ö from Their Eyes Were Watching God | p. 1 | |
| Introduction | p. 4 | |
| ôThe Bridge Poem,ö | p. 24 | |
| Crooked Room | p. 28 | |
| Myth | p. 51 | |
| ôResisting the Shame of Shug Avery,ö from The Color Purple | p. 98 | |
| Shame | p. 101 | |
| Disaster | p. 134 | |
| ôNo Mirrors in My NanaÆs House,ö Sweet Honey in the Rock, lyrics | p. 180 | |
| Strength | p. 183 | |
| God | p. 221 | |
| ôPraise Song for the Day,ö | p. 266 | |
| Michelle | p. 269 | |
| Appendix: Survey Data | p. 301 | |
| Notes | p. 315 | |
| Index | p. 368 |