If only it were this easy. Until then, we’re doing the work. Our menopause survey made it clear just how deeply perimenopause and menopause shape Black women’s health, careers, relationships, and daily lives. And that means this isn’t just a personal issue. It’s a policy issue. It’s a workplace issue. It’s a healthcare system issue.
This is why we push, advocate, and keep showing up in rooms where our needs have been overlooked for far too long. Because women deserve real guidance, real care, and real policy change that honors what we’re actually navigating.
Keep up with the latest in Menopause Policy: powerinthepause.bwhi.org (link in our bio)
#PowerInThePause #ThePolicyImperative #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
If you missed the in-person Power In The Pause events, here's your chance to catch it virtually!
Grab a comfy a seat and join host Tracy Parris-Benjamin @traceyshar1 with Joy D. Calloway @joy_D , President & CEO of the Black Women's Health Imperative, and Dr. Mia Cowan, Founder of Mi Bella Wellness Center, for a conversation that gets real about perimenopause and menopause.
No judgment. No myths. Just honest talk about what Black women actually go through.
We're revisiting some of the most powerful moments from Power in the Pause and going even deeper into how to take care of your body, mind, and spirit during this season of life.
We'll cover:
Understanding perimenopause and menopause
Supporting your physical and emotional wellness
Sharing wisdom across generations
This isn't just information. It's community. It's clarity. It's the care you deserve.
Rsvp: bit.ly/powerinthepause2 (🔗 in our bio)
#PowerInThePause #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
On Human Rights Day, we’re naming what the world too often refuses to see: Black women’s health is a human rights issue.
From reproductive care to maternal health, from chronic disease to menopause support, Black women still face barriers that are built into the very systems meant to protect us. These barriers aren’t accidental, they’re the product of decades of inequity, underinvestment, and policies that overlook our lived realities.
But here’s the truth:
We deserve more. We deserve (at minimum) human rights and care that listens, protects, honors, and uplifts us. And until Black women can access them fully and freely, our work is not done.
This is the vision of the BWHI 2025–2026 National Health Policy Agenda, a roadmap to equity, justice, and the future we deserve.
📣 Read it. Share it. Advocate with us.
👉🏾 Link in bio: Policy Agenda + Digital Toolkit
If you missed the first session, you missed a powerful and deeply educational conversation.
All Black women’s health advocates, policy leaders, staffers, organizers, and community changemakers... This Legislative Health Policy Learning Series is your space to learn, grow, and champion real solutions for Black women and girls. Session 2 is tomorrow, and we’re diving into Maternal Health & Wellness.
We’re breaking down the most urgent issues impacting our communities, strengthening collaboration, and building the policy knowledge needed to drive change from the inside out.
If you care about maternal health advocacy…
If you shape policy…
📣 You need to be in this room.
Join us. Learn with us. Lead with us.
RSVP 👉🏾 healthpolicy.bwhi.org (link in our bio)
#BWHI #HealthEquity #HealthPolicySeries #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
🤣😁 @khadeeniam its “the change” sis!! We aren’t crazy! 😮💨
But seriously, Our bodies are shifting, and so much of it is confusing, unexpected. Hot flashes. Brain fog. Mood swings. Joint pain. Sleep changes. Weight shifts.
These are real parts of the journey toward menopause but too often, nobody use to talk about it.
Our mothers and grandmothers pushed through in silence because they didn’t have the language, the support, or the care they deserved.
But we do.
We get to pause, ask questions, and finally understand what’s happening to our bodies, together.
Join us for a conversation that gets real about perimenopause and menopause. No judgment. No myths. No shame.
Just honest talk about what Black women actually go through.
We’re revisiting some of the most powerful moments from Power in the Pause and going even deeper into how to care for your body, mind, and spirit during this season of life.
🔗 Link in our bio, let’s learn, heal, and navigate this chapter in community. 💜
Shout out to our girls at @mamasdenpodcast for this! Check them out!
#PowerInThePause #MenopauseAwareness #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative #BWHI
Only 14 Black people have ever served in the U.S. Senate in the entire history of this country. Just two have been Black women in more than 230 years, Kamala Harris (CA) and Carol Moseley Braun (IL). And not a single Black woman has ever been elected to the Senate from Texas.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett is stepping into a race that could change that.
We’re watching this moment closely.
#RepresentationMatters #BlackWomenLead #HealthEquity #BWHI #TheImperative
Pull up a seat. Let's talk about the pause.
Join host Tracy Parris-Benjamin @traceyshar1 with Joy D. Calloway @thejoyd_ , President & CEO of the Black Women's Health Imperative, and Dr. Mia Cowan, Founder of Mi Bella Wellness Center, for a conversation that gets real about perimenopause and menopause.
No judgment. No myths. Just honest talk about what Black women actually go through.
We're revisiting some of the most powerful moments from Power in the Pause and going even deeper into how to take care of your body, mind, and spirit during this season of life.
We'll cover:
Understanding perimenopause and menopause
Supporting your physical and emotional wellness
Sharing wisdom across generations
This isn't just information. It's community. It's clarity. It's the care you deserve.
Rsvp: bit.ly/powerinthepause2 (🔗 in our bio)
#PowerInThePause #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
ICYMI: HHS has officially rescinded the federal minimum staffing rule for nursing homes, a rule designed to protect the health and dignity of residents who rely on Medicare and Medicaid–participating facilities.
Rolling back this rule means:
⚠️ Fewer nurses
⚠️ More dangerous workloads
⚠️ Increased risk for neglect, preventable illness, and avoidable deaths
⚠️ A heavier burden on families who are already stretched thin
These are not luxuries. These are the basics needed to keep elders safe, especially Black elders, who are more likely to rely on underfunded, understaffed facilities and experience poorer-quality care.
Our families deserve better. Our elders deserve better. We deserve better.
🔗 in our bio
#BWHI #HealthEquity #BlackWomensHealth #PolicyMatters
We carry so much, for so many.
But you’re allowed to set boundaries, sit down, and refill what the world drains.
Protect your energy like your life depends on it, because it does. 💜
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #theimperative
TODAY IS THE DAY! 💜
We’re getting cozy, settling into our PJs, and pressing play on Me Period for a beautiful night of storytelling, honesty, and sisterhood.
Hosted by the amazing @codieco (creator of Black Love + Mamas Den Podcast) with special guest @dreverywoman, we’re diving into the conversations so many of us never had growing up but deeply needed.
We’re talking periods, puberty, body confidence, myths, and how we raise the next generation with more knowledge and less shame.
Grab your girls, your daughters, your nieces, your squad
🩷 Tonight, we get real.
🩷 Tonight, we learn together.
🩷 Tonight, we take the power back.
See you at 6PM EST!
RSVP link in bio.
😂😭 Sis @thesheertruth!!! NO LIES TOLD!!! Because the way those cramps take you OUT… whew.
But THIS is exactly why we’re having these conversations! Too many of us were told to “just deal with it,” when in reality our pain deserves to be understood, validated, and talked about openly.
So listen, we’re getting cozy in our PJs, grabbing some snacks, and talking about all the things: periods, puberty, myths, confidence, healing, and how we support the next generation.
💅🏾 Grab your daughters, nieces, godbabies, or your girls and join us!
There’s still time to RSVP link in our bio!
#MePeriod #BlackWomensHealth #PeriodTalk #SisterhoodSpace #BWHI #TheImperative
A major change is on the table, and it could have serious implications for newborn health.
A federal vaccine advisory committee, now composed entirely of members appointed by Health Secretary has voted to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Instead, they recommend the birth dose only for infants whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B.
For decades, the hepatitis B birth dose has been a public health success, preventing thousands of infections. Hepatitis B can become a chronic and dangerous illness, and infants are far more likely than adults to develop long-term complications like liver failure, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
The CDC’s acting director will decide whether to adopt this recommendation. Until then, we encourage families to stay informed, talk to trusted medical providers, and make decisions grounded in science and safety. 💜
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Diabetes is so much more than a blood sugar issue; it’s a full-body issue. And when we understand that, we can protect ourselves better.
Shout out to our girl @queeneatznutrition for tapping in with us and breaking it down and dropping REAL knowledge about the link between diabetes and glaucoma.
Education saves lives. Let’s keep talking about it. 👉🏾 sight.bwhi.org (Link in our bio)
#DontSleepOnSight #BlackWomensHealth #HealthEquity
We love better. We think clearly. We move with intention instead of survival.
But too often, we push through the exhaustion like it’s a badge of honor. We carry the world, everybody’s needs, every emergency… and forget that we can’t pour from a cup that’s been empty for weeks.
So tonight, choose you.
Close your laptop. Put your phone down. Release the guilt.
And rest.
You deserve to wake up feeling like yourself again. 💜
Quote by @blackwomenhealingretreats
#RestIsRevolutionary #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Sis, grab your pajamas and your daughters, nieces, or your girls and join us for a cozy night in Hosted by @codieco and special guest @dreverywoman !
The Cozy Connect: Periods, Power & Pajamas is happening Saturday, December 6th from 6pm EST| 3pm PST, and we’re bringing you an intimate at-home screening of Me Period + a real sisterhood chat.
Let’s talk about the conversations that shaped us and the ones we wish we had.
Because early period education builds stronger, healthier habits for life.
We’ll dig into:
🩸 Understanding menstruation & puberty
🗣️ How to talk to young people about their periods
🚫 Mythbusting all the misinformation we grew up hearing
💖 Building body confidence across generations
Come comfy, come curious, come ready to connect. This is how we break cycles and build power together.
RSVP: https://bit.ly/meperiodscreening ( link in our bio)
#MePeriod #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
We’re proud to see @reprobinkelly step up with the WELLS Act, a new bill created to protect Black women in labor.
This legislation is a direct response to the horrifying reality of Black women being ignored, dismissed, or discharged while in active labor, forced to give birth in cars, parking lots, or unsafe conditions including Mercedes Wells, who the bill was named after.
The WELLS Act would make sure hospitals:
👉🏾Can’t discharge laboring moms without a documented reason
👉🏾Assess the dangers of sending someone away
👉🏾Train staff to recognize and stop racial bias
This is what advocacy looks like.
#BlackMaternalHealth #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
That’s not a small number; that’s nearly half of us.
In our new Lived Experiences of Black Women During the Menopausal Transition survey, women shared story after story of being dismissed, ignored, minimized, or told their symptoms “weren’t serious.”
Many said their providers didn’t listen.
Didn’t believe their pain.
Didn’t offer clear information or real options.
And didn’t understand how menopause shows up in Black women’s bodies.
This isn’t just a statistic, it’s a reality shaping our health, our quality of life, and our trust in the systems meant to care for us.
At BWHI, we’re committed to centering Black women’s voices, elevating their stories, and making sure these experiences are seen, heard, and taken seriously.
Menopause deserves attention.
Black women deserve respect.
Our symptoms deserve answers, not dismissal.
💜 Read more about Black women’s lived experiences in menopause: powerinthepause.bwhi.org
(link in our bio)
#MenopauseAwareness #BlackWomensHealth #HealthEquity #TheImperative #BWHI
Our President and Ceo @thejoyd_ says it best! Our mission is the same and bolder than ever.
We’re not changing our name, shifting our identity, or expanding our focus to chase funding.
We remain fully committed to one truth: Black women and girls deserve health, care, and protection, period.
If you believe in this mission, stand with us. It’s not too late to support BWHI this Giving Tuesday. Your gift fuels the work, strengthens our impact, and helps us continue fighting for the health and wellness of Black women and girls everywhere. 💜
Click the link in our bio to donate.
We can’t wait to continue this work with you.
TODAY: Every dollar you give gets matched. Here's what that doubled money does.
Your $50 → becomes $100
Your $100 → becomes $200
Your $250 → becomes $500
When your gift is doubled, it powers:
→ Maternal health programs that keep Black mothers alive through pregnancy and postpartum
→ HBCU leadership training through My Sister's Keeper—equipping students to become the next generation of policy advocates
→ Contraceptive access expansion so women can make their own reproductive choices without barriers
→ Menopause research and care that addresses the 9+ years Black women suffer while being dismissed by providers
This matching opportunity ends. After that, your gift still matters, but it won't be doubled.
Black women have been fighting all year for autonomy, dignity, and systems that work. Will you double your impact for them today?
👉🏾 Donate now, link in our bio
#GivingTuesday #InvestInBlackWomen #GiveToBWHI #DoubleYourImpact #MaternalHealth #ReproductiveJustice #BlackWomensHealth #MatchingGift
Sis, grab your pajamas and your daughters, nieces, or your girls and join us for a cozy night in!
The Cozy Connect: Periods, Power & Pajamas is happening Saturday, December 6th from 6pm EST| 3pm PST, and we’re bringing you an intimate at-home screening of Me Period + a real sisterhood chat. Hosted by @codieco and special guest @dreverywoman !
Let’s talk about the conversations that shaped us and the ones we wish we had. Because early period education builds stronger, healthier habits for life.
We’ll dig into:
🩸 Understanding menstruation & puberty
🗣️ How to talk to young people about their periods
🚫 Mythbusting all the misinformation we grew up hearing
💖 Building body confidence across generations
Come comfy, come curious, come ready to connect. This is how we break cycles and build power together.
RSVP: https://bit.ly/meperiodscreening ( link in our bio)
#MePeriod #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative