Overview

The lives and writings of six leading Black Buddhist women--Jan Willis, bell hooks, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, angel Kyodo williams, Spring Washam, and Faith Adiele--reveal new expressions of Buddhism rooted in ancestry, love, and collective liberation. Lifting as They Climb is a love letter of freedom and self-expression from six Black women Buddhist teachers, conveyed through the voice of author Toni Pressley-Sanon, one of the innumerable people who have benefitted from their wisdom. She explores their remarkable lives and undertakes deep readings of their work, weaving them into the broader tapestry of the African diaspora and the historical struggle for Black liberation. Black women in the U.S. have adapted Buddhist practice to meet challenges ranging from the injustices of the Jim Crow South to sexual violence, social discrimination, and bias within their Buddhist communities. Using their voices through the practice of memoir and other forms of writing, they have not only realized their own liberation but carried forward the Black tradition of leading others on the path toward collective awakening.

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Dr. Toni Pressley-Sanon is an associate professor in the Department of Africology & African American Studies at Eastern Michigan University, having previously held positions at the University of Buffalo and Pennsylvania State University. Her work dwells on the intersections of memory, history, and culture in both Africa and the African diaspora. She is the author of four books and numerous journal articles and book chapters on these subjects. Toni has practiced Buddhist meditation and mindfulness for the past ten years. Sanya Simmons is an Atlanta-based Black Latina female audiobook narrator. She's a member of SAG-AFTRA, PANA, and APA, and she serves on the DEI Committee of APA. Sanya's alto voice is warm, grounded, friendly, credible, and authentic. Conversational first person POV is Sanya's forte. She enjoys romance (including erotica), cozy mystery, memoir, true crime and crime fiction, thriller, and YA genres. Nonfiction topics that are sure to catch her interest are those involving African American history and current issues, social justice, inclusivity (especially Black, LGBTQIA+, and disability), mental health, and spirituality. Sanya is also a musician and the author of A Single Mom's Guide to Raising Black (Gentle) Men. Sanya Simmons is an Atlanta-based Black Latina female audiobook narrator. She's a member of SAG-AFTRA, PANA, and APA, and she serves on the DEI Committee of APA. Sanya's alto voice is warm, grounded, friendly, credible, and authentic. Conversational first person POV is Sanya's forte. She enjoys romance (including erotica), cozy mystery, memoir, true crime and crime fiction, thriller, and YA genres. Nonfiction topics that are sure to catch her interest are those involving African American history and current issues, social justice, inclusivity (especially Black, LGBTQIA+, and disability), mental health, and spirituality. Sanya is also a musician and the author of A Single Mom's Guide to Raising Black (Gentle) Men.

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