08/11/2025
Dr. LeKeshia Harless Mathis’s new article, “How The Superwoman Schema Costs the African American Woman,” explores the cultural pressures on African American women to embody unwavering strength, resilience, and self-sufficiency, often at the expense of their mental and physical well-being. Drawing from her social work experience, Dr. Mathis outlines how the Superwoman Schema,
a theoretical framework describing the expectation to project strength, suppress vulnerability, and prioritize others, emerges from systemic racism, sexism, and cultural stereotypes, but leads to emotional suppression, isolation, stress, and chronic self-neglect.
This article highlights both the resilience fostered by these expectations and the significant health costs, calling for culturally sensitive interventions and increased awareness among mental health professionals to better support African American women’s holistic health.
https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/how-the-superwoman-schema-costs-the-african-american-woman?fbclid=IwY2xjawME5NpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHj5623mExQP7B1ghbnoW5kxViPfVaVKUpn1Gd1rMYgkwqYoXNbyGSo2QBwc6_aem_ZxcVnrI1An6M42pfSy35DA
The Superwoman Schema (SWS) serves as a theoretical framework that articulates a collection of beliefs, behaviors, and emotional reactions frequently observed in African American women. This schema...
