The other day, Pam Grier was upset. The former 1970s blaxploitation pinup queen was lamenting the effects of the economic downturn on families.

"You're seeing more and more abuse with the economic crisis today,'' she said in an interview with Black Voices from her home in Colorado. "People are upset. It's hot. They are frustrated and angry. Abuse is through the roof. It's on the rise.''

Yes, the former gun-toting, pimp-slappin' beauty, who won the hearts of men and inspired scores of young black girls to forge their way to Hollywood, has metamorphosed into a philanthropist who helps women, children and animals. She recently released 'Foxy: My Life in Three Acts,' an illuminating and poignant memoir written with Andrea Cagan.

The reason Grier is so concerned about the effects of the economic downturn is because she knows it can destroy families in more ways than one. Grier experienced two sexual assaults as a child during household economic turmoil. The actress hid her hurtful past by playing strong women in films such as 'Coffy,' 'Foxy Brown' and 'Sheba Baby.' In addition, she writes about the glaring racism she experienced on the road and her heartbreaking romances with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Freddie Prinze, Sr. and comedy king Richard Pryor in this must-read memoir.

Excerpts of the conservation are below.

Black Voices: What made you decide to write the book?
Pam Grier: It took four year to process it. I ran it by Jennifer Beals when were talking and visiting in New York. She was saying there were so many of my experiences that people hadn't heard of and thashould write a book. I didn't write it to shock people. I wrote it to make people aware of our surroundings, our environment, our families and the dysfunction that is being passed on from generation to generation. Children emulate their parents. Back in the day, there weren't that many psychiatrists or family counselors to help you like there are today. When there is lack of food, psychological strength and structure in the home, that's when you have the real issues.

BV: What was it like being a sex symbol in the '70s?
PG: It was hard. I'm a product of the women's liberation movement. My mother and great-grandmother set that up because of what they went through. They suffered so much. So with that movement, the civil rights movement and the black power movement, it was the template of my childhood. Out of it came so many strengths, but not without a lot of pain.

BV: Was it hard to write about the sexual assaults?
PG: For so long, I was afraid to talk about it out of fear I could lose my family. That's why women and children are silent, because they fear they will lose their families. I knew that writing the book would be cathartic and it was a process of healing. It's relative to how I healed and if I healed at all. It's also about how I've managed to be healthy and revisit certain incidences that were very painful.

BV: You had a lot of interesting relationships with male stars and athletes.
PG: With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar I was comprehending Islam. Overall, throughout most of the relationships, I was understanding myself as a woman. I was asking myself, "Am I a nurturer or nurse?" Sometimes men come into your life and they are relatively okay and then they change. When you walk away from relationships, you know you absolutely adore this human being and he's making you the best person you can be. He's helping you grow and you're helping him. Then there is a point where you see it can be quite dangerous and it's not life affirming. You learn when to walk away.

BV: How did you recall everything?
PG: Part of it was through journaling, but I remembered a lot. And my family helped. I had to hold in so much for most of my life it that it was there ready to come out. I was ready to explode. I wrote about the things that kept me going, including friendships, work and surviving cancer.

BV: What is next for you?
PG: There is a lot of interests by some film companies to produce 'Foxy.' I also just finished a film with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts called 'Larry Crowne.' I play Julia's good friend. We're college professors. She meets Tom, who lost his job because he didn't have a college education. So he goes back to school to get a business degree, where he meets Julia and falls in love. It's a wonderful story.