Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights:#1 The struggle many black women face is to figure out which way is up in a crooked room full of warped images of their humanity. Some black women tilt and bend themselves to fit the distortion.#2 The play, For Colored Girls, was first produced Off-Broadway in 1975. It has sold more than a hundred thousand copies. It is a definitive artistic, visual, and poetic representation of the experience of the crooked room.#3 The struggle of black women to stand upright in a crooked world is a major theme in Shange’s work. It is not just about victimization, but also about love, passion, exploration, joy, music, and dance.#4 The women in the focus groups identified three stereotypes of black women: Mammy, Jezebel, and Sapphire. They were either oversexed or asexual, and their roles were to be either promiscuous or asexual.