ABSTRACT
When we live in peace, our lives are not tormented by the anguish of stress. Life-threatening stress has become the normal psychological state for many black women. Much of the stress black people experience is directly related to the way systems of domination, racism, sexism, and capitalism, in particular, disrupt our capacities to fully exercise self-determination. It is a tragic irony that many more black people suffer undue anxiety and stress as a result of racial integration. Stress is a hidden killer underlying all the major health problems black women face. Over-burdened and over-extended, stress is the body's response to carrying more than it can bear. Worry is another major cause of stress in black women's lives. Many of us worry because it allows us to imagine that obsessive constant thinking about something, fretting, means we are in control. Learning when to let go is crucial to reducing and eliminating stress.
