God Is a Black Woman

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In this timely and essential work, theologian and activist Christena Cleveland shares her journey to dismantle the cultural “whitemalegod” and reveal the Sacred Black Feminine, introducing a Black Female God who offers hope, healing, and liberation. After years of advocating for racial reconciliation, Cleveland found herself questioning the God she was taught to worship—a white male figure who favored white men and failed to affirm her identity as a Black woman. This crisis of faith led her on a transformative pilgrimage across France, where she sought healing through the ancient shrines of Black Madonnas. Her narrative critiques a society shaped by white patriarchal Christianity and explores how the dominant image of God as a white man has perpetuated racial and gender oppression. By weaving her personal story with womanist ideology and extensive research, Cleveland challenges us to reconsider the nature of the divine. She emphasizes that God is neither white nor male, offering a hopeful path for connecting with the divine and honoring the sacredness of all Black people. This work serves as both a chronicle of her liberation and a call to reimagine our understanding of God in a more inclusive and affirming way.