New Author Sophia A. Nelson Nominated for African-American Literary Awards

July 26, 2011 - PRLog -- The African-American Literary Awards has nominated Sophia A. Nelson, author of "Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling the Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in the Age of Michelle Obama", for two awards: “Author of the Year” and “Book of the Year” in the Non-Fiction category.

The awards, first established in 2004 by Yvette Hayward, recognize the best African-American authors in the country.  Voting will take place online on Thursday, July 28 at the African-American Literary Awards website: http://www.literaryawardshow.com/index.html.  Winners will be announced in September.

Released on May 31st, 2011, Nelson’s 1st non-fiction book release, "Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling the Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in the Age of Michele Obama” became an instant Amazon & Barnes and Noble best-seller, selling more than 10,000 books nationwide. At a time when the black-white wealth gap is at its highest ever and the image of black women is constantly under attack in media ad campaigns (http://summerseve.com/vpower/ad-campaign/lady-wowza), the book has touched the souls of readers around the country who are celebrating the book’s groundbreaking research – and honesty.

“This is a great honor,” Nelson said. “I’ve always said that Black Woman Redefined is more than a book, it is a movement. Everywhere I go, I’m discovering that I’ve touched a raw nerve about how we as black women are damaged by stereotypes and reality TV portrayals. Despite being virtually ignored by mainstream media outlets (newspapers, network TV shows, etc.) I’m so glad others are recognizing the importance and impact of my message.”

Nelson is preparing for a national speaking tour in the fall where she will be discussing some of the findings from the proprietary national research. She also will share real-life stories that reveal what drives and perpetuates common myths and misconceptions of black women, and how the current economy is playing havoc on the black family emotionally. Among the research’s findings is that nation’s struggling economy is taking its toll on Professional Black Women who suffer from hypertension, obesity, Fibroids, and depression at a higher rate than others. In the workplace, black women also face limited opportunities for career advancement, and more racial bias than their white counterparts. (Summary of key findings are listed below.)

Celebrity guest contributors to the book include CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Tom Joyner Morning Show’s Roland S. Martin & Jeff Johnson, Academy award nominated actress Taraji Henson, and For Colored Girls’ Kimberly Elise along with Dr. Lamont Hill, ABC’s The View Co-host Sherri Shepherd, Congressmen Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-IL) and Terri Sewell (D-Alabama), and many more.

Nelson, recognized for the past decade for her passionate, but “common sense approach” to politics and issues as an On-Air analyst for MSNBC, CNN, FOX, BET and other cable networks is available for interviews and commentary to set the record straight on this very important issue to the longevity of the black family.

Nelson who is a life-long moderate Republican, attorney, former lobbyist, turned journalist and commentator currently serves as Chairman of the Board of “I Am My Sister’s Keeper, Inc.”, a 7-year-old professional black women’s advocacy organization that provides life skills support to more than 3,000-women around the world (see www.iaskinc.org ). Nelson is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. sorority, the oldest Greek lettered organization for African-American women in the world.

Black Woman Redefined is available online, at bookstores nationwide, and through Perseus Distribution. Orders only, please call toll-free 1-800-343-4499 or email orderentry@perseusbooks.com.

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Sophia A. Nelson – Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling the Myths and Discovering the Fulfillment in the Age of Michelle Obama
Snapshots of the study’s Key Findings

* Black Women & Money: Financial pressures or debt were the leading factors that negatively influenced Professional Black Women’s (PBW) mental health, including causing depression, for 60% of respondents.  

* Mrs. Obama’s Positive Impact: Professional Black women admired First Lady Michelle Obama for her intelligence (40%) and accomplishments (35%), and many identified her as a role model or inspiration.  In total, 87% credited Michelle Obama with dispelling stereotypes about the achievements of Black women in America.

* Black Women & Relationships: The majority of PBW (66%) reported they would rather be alone than in a relationship with someone who was below their standards for the sake of companionship.  More than three-quarters of PBW (78%) believed “finding a ‘suitable’ husband” was a challenge faced by Black women more so than their White counterparts.  Intimidation was pegged by 67% of PBW as the main impediment to Black women’s ability to start and sustain healthy relationships with Black men.  For the words or phrases that they believed Black men would use to describe them, PBW selected those that expressed their ability to be successful on their own (“independent,” 70% or “self-sufficient,” 70%) or those that negatively describe their attitudes or personalities (“standoffish,” 51%; “arrogant,” 48%; “snob,” 46%; “distant/aloof,” 32%; and “angry,” 30%).

* Black Women & Workplace: In the workplace, PBW pointed first to limits on opportunities for advancement (38%) and next to racial (29%), more so than gender, (10%) discrimination as hampering their ability to succeed.  In fact, women in professional or executive positions were more apt than white collar workers to have perceived prejudicial behavior based on race in their work environment (32% vs. 19%, respectively). White collar workers were also 21 points more likely than professional or executive Black women to highlight a lack of opportunities to be promoted (53% vs. 32%).

* Black Women & Racial Challenges: PBW recognized many challenges faced by Black women in the workplace beyond that experienced by their White counterparts, including getting ahead in the office (68%), earning respect from male colleagues (58%), being viewed as competent (54%), and hitting the “glass ceiling” professionally (52%).  Exploring the social implications of these difficulties in the workplace, the majority of PBW believed Black women disproportionately confront the challenge of providing for their families (66%).

* African American Men Suffering in Silence:  An unexpected percentage of professional Black men identified work-related stress (hypertension) at 72% as major challenge confronting them in the workplace.  This is a ground breaking revelation that has not been discussed in mainstream media and reflects the silent agony experienced by many Black men in society.

* Descriptions of African American Professional Women:  The descriptions selected by the male respondents to describe Black professional women reinforced their experiences, perceptions, and some stereotypes.  The most frequent words used to describe the women accentuated their success, such as independent (72%) and accomplished (66%).  This contrasts with the second set of descriptors focusing on less than flattering personality traits such as controlling (39%) and angry (22%).

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