Blood Sweat and High Heels Author:Cheryl Waiters, Darnella Ford Cheryl Waiters was born the same year as Michael Jackson, and she became a product of that same era. In this memoir, Waiters narrates the story of her life against the backdrop of the political and social activities of the time. She focuses on her journey as an African American female electrician in that male-dominated trade. Blood, Sweat, an... more »d High Heels presents a recap of Waiters's life-her birth in 1958 to teenage parents; her first job, begun at age eleven; her service in the US Air Force; her graduation at age twenty-eight from a community college with an associate's degree in mechanical engineering; her attendance at Cleveland University; and her career as an electrician. Waiters describes how she overcame racial and gender bias to gain historic and international recognition as the only female who worked on both Jacobs Field and Gund Arena. Blood, Sweat, and High Heels shows Waiters's tenacity as she continually struggles for dignity, respect, and equality in treatment and pay on the construction job site.« less