Creating a cultural context for healthy black self-esteem means that we must restore the religious locations where a spirituality that embraces the lost souls can flourish. Just as the liberation theology of the past offered to African Americans a vision of a counterculture where justice could prevail, where excess and decadence were questioned, contemporary African Americans are in need of a spirituality that calls for renewal and restoration of the soul, a religion that celebrates coming together, reunion. When we talk about self-esteem, that reunion can take the form of returning to an emphasis on inherent divine glory that can counter the white supremacist thinking that constantly tells black folks we are unworthy.
hooks, bell. (2003). Rock my soul: Black people and self-esteem. Atria Books.
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