Stand Up to Stigma: How We Reject Fear and Shame [Paperback]

No More Hate! All Are Welcome!


“Stigma” is a simple two-syllable word, yet it carries the weight of negative and often unfair beliefs that we hold about those who are different from us. Stigmas lock people into stereotyped boxes and deny us all the right to be our authentic and whole selves. Dr. Pernessa Seele, a longtime public health activist who started one of the first AIDS education programs in the 1980s, has crafted a proven method to address stigma. This powerful book confronts stereotype development, shows how to undo the processes and effects of stigma, and explains how we can radically change cultural thinking on the individual, interpersonal, and societal levels to put an end to stigmatization once and for all.“Pernessa’s book can make a difference in your life. In a powerful way, it gets to the heart of a complex issue. Many people stigmatize others without realizing it, and Seele helps readers understand what they can do to change their attitudes and actions.”
—Jeff Pegues, Justice and Homeland Security Correspondent, CBS News, and author of Black and Blue


“We all dream of living in a world without stigma and bias, but a quick glance at the news proves that this is a dream deferred. Pernessa Seele pulls no punches in identifying the cost of stigma and steps to take away the power of stigma and bias.”
—Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman, Conference on National Black Churches, Inc.

“Dr. Pernessa Seele’s tireless efforts to remove disparities in health care—and wherever we need more understanding and acceptance—is nothing short of inspirational. I will gladly share this book with anyone who questions the toll that stigma takes on our human community—or the path we can take to escape it.”
—John Hope Bryant, Chairman, Operation HOPE

“In sharing cogent reflectló.