“It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it,” the legendary Lena Horne once observed. For Black women, the weight of responsibilities, systemic barriers, and emotional burdens can often feel crushing without the proper support. Bestselling author Elizabeth Leiba offers that relief in her new book, Protecting My Peace: Embracing Inner Beauty and Ancestral Power. This uplifting guide empowers Black women with insights and strategies to foster inner calm and manage life’s challenges in a healthy, sustainable way.
By acknowledging the unique stressors Black women face while providing actionable tools rooted in ancestral wisdom and self-care, Protecting My Peace helps lighten the load. Elizabeth explores how Black women can prioritize emotional well-being and resilience, even in the face of discrimination, stereotyping, disproportionate demands, and generational trauma. With self-reflection, boundary setting, community support, and culturally-grounded techniques, Black women can transform not just how they carry burdens but how they view and care for themselves along the journey.
The book incorporates research on African spirituality and matriarchal traditions to uncover empowering narratives about Black women often obscured by mainstream historical accounts. Elizabeth also shares her personal story of overcoming trauma, discrimination, and mental health struggles on the journey toward self-love.
For instance, Elizabeth explores how African ancestral wisdom and spirituality provided a foundation for respecting feminine power and leadership. As cited by scholars like Dr. Charles S. Finch III, early African cultures believed that life itself emerged solely from women, with the female form serving as a model for the divine. Societies in Egypt and Kush traced lineage matrilineally, and powerful female figures like Queen Mothers and medicine women held prestigious roles. In Southern Africa, daughters of sub-rulers even led women’s military regiments. The concept of “Ubuntu” is also connected to a communal ethos where beauty and worth are judged by one’s impact on social harmony. By tracing these traditions, Elizabeth pens an empowering narrative of the sacred feminine in Africa, which the author suggests can help provide healing perspectives for Black women facing oppression or discrimination today.
From there, Protecting My Peace gives actionable advice for Black women seeking inner tranquility. Elizabeth offers insights on managing stress, establishing boundaries, engaging in self-care, participating in group therapy, journaling, using affirmations, and much more. By blending evidence-based techniques with ancestral knowledge, the book equips Black women with innovative and culturally-rooted tools for healing.
With her first book, I’m Not Yelling: A Black Woman’s Guide to Navigating the Workplace, Elizabeth established herself as a prominent advocate for Black professional women by sharing strategies to help Black women succeed in corporate workplace culture. I’m Not Yelling sold over 12,000 copies and consistently ranked on Amazon’s bestseller list.
Now, in Protecting My Peace, she continues championing the emotional wellness and resilience of Black women. Ashley McGirt-Adair, psychotherapist and founder of the WA Therapy Fund Foundation, had this to say: “In Protecting My Peace,” the reader is taken on a transformative journey of self-discovery, ancestral light, and self-love. As a tribute to Black women everywhere, this book is a testament to our strength, resilience, and the unparalleled beauty of our journey. This isn’t just a book — it’s a call to action for Black women everywhere to embrace their authentic selves.”
If you’re looking to reclaim your peace and discover your inner strength, pick up a copy and visit lizleiba.com for more information. You can also meet Elizabeth at two upcoming book signing events:
January 27 at Barnes & Noble in Columbia, MD
February 10 at Barnes & Noble in Bowie, MD
Published By: Aize Perez
