Was it the pain that made you miss work?
The cramps that left you curled up in bed?
The heavy bleeding you were told was “just part of being a woman”?
The fatigue that never quite made sense?
Too many of us were taught to endure instead of investigate.
Pain is not a personality trait.
Suffering is not a rite of passage.
And “that’s just how your body is” is not a diagnosis.
Let’s talk about it. What did you normalize for too long? Drop it below. 👇🏾
#EnodmetriosisAwarenessMonth #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
BWHI is proud to support Deliver Us, @Deliverusdoc, a powerful new documentary premiering this weekend in the Bay Area.
This film pulls back the curtain on the racial bias Black mothers experience during childbirth told through the voices of Black midwives and the mothers in their care.
At the heart of the story is Kindred Space, the only Black-owned and operated birth center in Los Angeles, and its founder Kimberly Durdin, who is working to create safe, affirming spaces for Black families in a system that too often fails them.
In a country with incredible medical advancement, Black mothers are still 3–4 times more likely to die during childbirth than their white peers. That is not a coincidence. That is systemic.
Deliver Us explores the history, the disparities, the racism, and the resilience, while centering the people building solutions.
If you’re in the Bay Area, check out the world premiere this weekend at the Cinequest Film Festival. And consider donating to support the film’s production and the Black mothers and midwives it uplifts.
Because storytelling is advocacy. And advocacy saves lives.
Check out "Deliver Us" at the Cinequest Film Festival (Link in our bio)
#BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative #BWHI #DeliverUs
Anniversaries like this are a moment to remember what we lost, what we learned, and who carried the heaviest burden.
Black communities experienced higher infection rates, higher hospitalization rates, and higher death rates. Black women carried families, jobs, caregiving, and grief often all at once. Many became frontline workers, essential workers, and emotional anchors during an unprecedented crisis.
COVID-19 exposed what public health experts have long known: health inequities don’t start in a pandemic. They are magnified by one.
It also showed us the power of community. Mutual aid. Science. Advocacy. The importance of trusted messengers and culturally responsive care.
As we reflect, we honor the lives lost. We honor the healthcare workers who kept showing up. And we recommit to building a health system that is equitable before the next crisis, not scrambling during it.
Public health is not political. It is personal.
And we cannot forget the lessons. 💜
#Covid19 #BlackWomensHealth #BWHI #TheImperative
HIV is not a moral failure. It is a public health issue. And women deserve prevention, treatment, dignity, and joy, not stigma.
Shout out to Sheryl Lee Ralph and the The DIVA Foundation for amplifying the voices of Black women living and thriving with HIV through powerful storytelling and documentary work.
Representation matters. Visibility matters. Centering real stories changes narratives and saves lives.
Today, we’re honoring the National Day of Rest for Black Women, and yes, BWHI is observing it too with a day off!
Rest is not a luxury. It is care.
It is necessary for our mental, physical, and emotional health.
Black women carry so much for our families, our communities, and our work. Today is a reminder that we deserve pause, softness, and restoration just as much as we deserve progress and productivity.
So today, we’re logging off, slowing down, and choosing rest.
We encourage you to do the same, in whatever way feels accessible:
Take a nap.
Step outside.
Silence notifications.
Say “not today” to anything that drains you.
The work continues tomorrow.
Today, we rest.
#NationalDayOfRest #RestlsResistance
#BlackWomensHealth
In a world that applauds burnout and calls it ambition, a Black woman publicly choosing rest is powerful. It challenges the idea that we must always endure, always overperform, always prove. We see you @shawnatthomas 💜
Softness is not weakness.
Rest is not quitting.
Peace is not failure.
Black women deserve careers and coastlines. Impact and inhaling deeply. Success and stillness.
As we approach the National Day of Rest for Black Women, may this be your reminder: you do not have to break yourself to be valuable.
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is go find your beach. 💜
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
It’s International Women’s Day and we are celebrating the brilliance, resilience, leadership, and impact of women across the globe. 🌍💜
From boardrooms to classrooms, clinics to communities, women are building, healing, innovating, organizing, and leading. And when women thrive, families thrive. Communities thrive. Nations thrive.
At BWHI, we know that honoring women means more than celebration, it means commitment. Commitment to health equity. Commitment to safety and dignity. Commitment to ensuring women have access to the care, resources, and opportunities they deserve.
Here’s to women who rest, women who rise, women who rebuild, and women who refuse to shrink.
The world moves because women move it. 💜
Today we honor Lt. Col. Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell, a trailblazer whose service and strength expanded what leadership looks like.
Lt. Col. Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell made history as the first Black female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. In a field where both race and gender barriers have long limited access, she soared, literally and symbolically.
Her career represents more than aviation milestones. It represents visibility. Discipline. Courage. And the power of showing up in spaces that were not built with you in mind.
For Black women and girls watching, her legacy says:
You belong in command
You belong in the cockpit.
You belong in every room your dreams lead you to.
This Women’s History Month, we celebrate women who break ceilings and then hold the door open behind them.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and awareness must include equity.
Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, and Black adults are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages and experience higher mortality rates.
Early screening saves lives.
Colonoscopies and stool-based tests can detect cancer early, sometimes even before symptoms begin. Yet barriers like cost, lack of provider referral, medical mistrust, and delayed diagnosis continue to impact Black communities disproportionately.
Colorectal cancer is preventable and treatable when caught early. Know your family history and talk with your physician.
Prevention is power. Early detection is equity.
#ColorectalCancerAwareness #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Happening now! And our President & CEO, @thejoyd_ , will be virutally joining the Inaugural Menopause and Women of Color Summit hosted by the Morehouse School of Medicine.
Black women experience more severe vasomotor symptoms, longer delays in diagnosis, and are more likely to have their concerns dismissed in clinical settings. That is not coincidence, it is systemic.
This summit brings together two forces that must move together:
Clinical leadership reforming care from within.
Community advocates reshaping the narrative from the outside.
Because culture change in healthcare requires both.
Joy will continue elevating what we know to be true: menopause is not a niche issue, it is a health equity issue. And Black women deserve evidence-based, culturally informed care.
If you’re ready to be part of the shift, register and join us now:
https://www.mdforyou.com/2026-menopause-lunch-and-learn
Menopause is natural. The silence around Black women’s experiences with it is not.
In a recent EBONY feature highlighting our President & CEO @thejoyd_ , the data is clear: 43% of Black women report being dismissed or discriminated against by providers and Black women experience symptoms for an average of nine years.
And it’s more than hot flashes. It’s brain fog, anxiety, stress, and too often, not being heard.
That’s why we’re doing the research, to inform policy, educate our community, and push for better care
It’s time for honest, open conversations about menopause, especially in communities where it’s been overlooked. Black women deserve to be heard. And we’re not whispering anymore.
Read the full article in Ebony (Link in our bio)
https://www.ebony.com/black-women-menopause-healthcare-disparities/
#PowerInThePause #Menopause #Perimenopause #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Sometimes you have to be your own hype woman. 💅🏾
We love this clip of Queen Latifah and Keke Palmer in “Joyful Noise” because whew, the confidence was loud and necessary.
Not everyone will clap when you walk in the room.
Not everyone will understand the vision.
Not everyone will see what you’re building.
So sometimes? You hype yourself.
You remind yourself who you are.
You speak life over your own name.
We’re proud to share that our President & CEO, @thejoyd_ , will be virutally joining the Inaugural Menopause and Women of Color Summit hosted by the Morehouse School of Medicine.
Black women experience more severe vasomotor symptoms, longer delays in diagnosis, and are more likely to have their concerns dismissed in clinical settings. That is not coincidence, it is systemic.
This summit brings together two forces that must move together:
Clinical leadership reforming care from within.
Community advocates reshaping the narrative from the outside.
Because culture change in healthcare requires both.
Joy will continue elevating what we know to be true: menopause is not a niche issue — it is a health equity issue. And Black women deserve evidence-based, culturally informed care.
If you’re ready to be part of the shift, register today:
https://www.mdforyou.com/2026-menopause-lunch-and-learn
Pain That Stops Your Life Is Not “Just Cramps.”
If your period pain:
• Makes you miss work or school
• Leaves you curled up for hours (or days)
• Causes pain during sex
• Comes with heavy bleeding, bloating, or extreme fatigue
• Feels like it’s taking over your life
That’s not something to brush off.
If something feels off, keep asking questions. Ask for referrals. Ask for imaging. Ask for documentation.
You are not dramatic.
You are deserving of answers.
#EndometriosisAwarenessMonth #EndometriosisAwareness #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Their strength made space for our wings.
This Women’s History Month, we honor and celebrate the women whose courage, sacrifice, and resilience created room for us to dream bigger and lead louder.
We soar because they stood firm. 💜
We honor the life and legacy of Gladys Mae West, who recently passed in January 2026.
Dr. West’s mathematical modeling of the Earth’s shape became foundational to the development of GPS technology that now powers everything from emergency response to healthcare delivery, transportation, agriculture, and digital connectivity. For decades, her groundbreaking work shaped modern infrastructure without the recognition it deserved.
Her story reminds us of a powerful truth:
Black women have always built the future.
Now the question is, who has access to it?
Her legacy aligns with BWHI Pillar V: Technology Access & Artificial Intelligence (AI), which recognizes that innovation must be paired with equitable access. As digital tools, AI systems, and emerging technologies increasingly shape healthcare, education, and opportunity, Black women must not be excluded from the benefits or harmed by biased systems.
We honor Dr. West not only for what she built, but for what she represents: brilliance, precision, and quiet excellence that changed the world.
May we continue ensuring that access follows innovation.
Want to learn more or get involved?
Explore BWHI’s health policy pillars and find ways to engage, bwhi.org/policy-research
#BlackHistoryMonth #BHM #HealthPolicy #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative #BWHI
It’s Saturday morningggg ☀️ and you already know what that means…
Time to get up and move your body! 🖤
No pressure. No punishment. Just movement that loves you back.
One thing for certain, ladyshieldss is going to give us the BEST home workout for our bodies. We’re choosing movement that builds longevity, lowers stress, and protects our hearts.
Because Black women deserve:
✨ Strong bodies
✨ Regulated nervous systems
✨ Energy that lasts
✨ Movement without shame
Drop a 💪🏾 if you’re moving with us today.
And tag your accountability partner, we’re not doing this alone.
The Florida Department of Health has issued emergency rules that will block approximately 16,000 Floridians from accessing their HIV medication.
Beginning Sunday:
• Subsidies for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) will only be available to people at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, down from 400%.
• Coverage of Biktarvy, a once-a-day HIV medication used by roughly 60% of the 30,000 Floridians enrolled in ADAP, will be limited.
HIV treatment is not optional. It is lifesaving. Consistent access to medication keeps people healthy, prevents transmission, and protects entire communities.
When access is restricted, the consequences are not abstract. They show up in viral rebound, increased hospitalizations, preventable transmission, and destabilized families.
Policy decisions like this disproportionately impact Black communities, who already shoulder a higher burden of HIV diagnoses due to systemic inequities, not individual failure.
Healthcare access should not shift overnight.
Lifesaving medication should not be treated as negotiable.
#HIVawareness #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
If it matters to Black women’s health, policy, culture, wellness, or community, we’re talking about it.
No fluff. No spam. Just real updates, real gems, and real action you can take.
Don’t be the friend saying “Wait… I didn’t know that was happening.”
Stay plugged in. Stay ahead. Stay involved.
Tap in and subscribe. Your inbox deserves better. 💜
bwhi.org/take-action
We love a good “what’s the secret?” moment.
Here’s one that actually changes outcomes:
Preventative care.
Annual exams. Mammograms. Follow-ups.
That’s the real glow-up.
Go ahead and schedule it, sis. 💜