Given the accomplishments of these organizations, Collier-Thomas, in the "coda" to her book, bemoans their decline in the 21st century as women, despite ecclesiastical advances, continue to face issues of gender inequality in church and society.
The breadth of Collier-Thomas' work is impressive. Throughout the text, she makes subtle challenges to simple and accepted narratives of women's uplift, pointing at the not-so-obvious ways in which women organized.
The strength of this book, its breadth, also will be for some audiences its Achilles' heel. Collier-Thomas' striking knowledge of women's history, and African American women's history in particular, comes through and at times overwhelms a clear and concise narrative.