Dr. Cheryl Cooper

“Hood to Hooded: A Black Woman's Choice to Rise” (2023)

Hood to Hooded is a powerful, memorable book that explores the unjust racial and gender bias in corporate America. It fills the growing desire for education and awareness that has sparked an increase in sales of books addressing these discriminatory issues in the United States. Although Dr. Cheryl Cooper uses a moving memoir to speak to her journey, its message is not much unlike the work of the historian Robert H. Zieger, whose work charted the struggle of Black workers to gain employment rights in both the workplace and through labor movements. Dr. Cooper openly addresses the barriers to opportunities faced by African Americans…barriers that surfaced following the Civil War and continue now in a globalized nation. The story opens with the heart-wrenching recognition of a 5-year-old Black child who looks and feels different and, as such, begins to think differently. Her passion grows in the recognition that the fight for Black women’s equal pay must address race and gender biases that erode the Black woman’s dreams and the ability to thrive. It evolves with a touching portrayal of black feminist thought…an aspiring Black woman who chooses to advocate for a unique group that exists within our society. It is where we find the intersectional processes of ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation that shapes the future of young African American women through their individual and collective consciousness, self-confidence, and actions. As Hood to Hooded unfolds, Dr. Cooper is open and vulnerable about her struggles, fears, and the disappointments of a troubled life—and her ultimate response to them. Education and advocacy came in the form of bold new courage inspired by and through a mentoring program that can and will change the future. American Award-winning journalist Cynthia Newsome noted, “This book provides insight into the Black woman’s experience that will help generations of women who follow.