Health is not vanity. It’s preparation.
Drink the water.
Go to the appointment.
Rest without guilt.
Move your body with love.
Nourish yourself on purpose.
Black women deserve to live long enough and well enough to enjoy everything they’ve worked and prayed for.
Protect your health like your future depends on it. Because it does. 💜
@iamtabithabrown
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Black Maternal Health Week is more than an observance, it’s a movement.
Join our President & CEO, Joy D. Calloway, and Jemea Dorsey, President & CEO of the Center for Black Women’s Wellness (CBWW), as we officially kick off Black Maternal Health Week #BMHW2026.
Together, they’ll discuss:
💜 Why Black Maternal Health Week matters
💜 How BWHI and CBWW are activating this week
💜 The history and partnership behind our shared commitment to birth equity
Black women deserve safe, respectful, and equitable maternal care, and we’re continuing the work.
Monday, April 13
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Live on Instagram (@blkwomenshealth & @cbwwatlanta)
Set your reminder. Share with your community. Join the conversation.
#BlackMaternalHealthWeek #HealthEquity #ProtectBlackMothers
Big news for Virginia families!
Lawmakers advanced legislation that will give nearly all Virginia workers the right to paid leave for serious health needs, caregiving, pregnancy, bonding with a new child, and certain safety-related circumstances.
Once signed, Virginia will become the 14th state (plus D.C.) with a paid leave program.
Starting December 1, 2028, workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave per year — receiving 80% of their average weekly wages (up to a cap), with job protection included.
This is what family-centered policy looks like.
This is what workforce equity looks like.
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Join us for a national convening of thought leaders committed to realigning investments and partnerships to confront the persistent underfunding of Black women’s health.
Black women continue to face disproportionate health inequities driven by systemic racism, chronic underinvestment, and policy gaps. The urgency is clear, and the scale of funding has not matched the scale of need.
The disparities are rising. The investments must rise with them.
Register now: risingdisparities.BWHI.org (Link in our bio)
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Spring is in the air and it’s giving reset energy.
But let’s be clear… spring cleaning isn’t just about closets and junk drawers.
Our Dish Diva and BWHI Lifestyle Coaches are inviting you to go deeper in this Coaches Corner episode of CYL2 Spring Cleaning.
We’re talking:
• Cleaning up habits that aren’t serving you
• Refreshing routines that feel tired
• Resetting your freezer, pantry, and plate
• Aligning your space with your health goals
• Pouring back into yourself on purpose
This is your reminder that a little “life cleaning” can go a long way.
Join us for a fun, interactive conversation where we keep it real about what it actually takes to reset and move forward.
Don’t miss it.
Readyforchange.bwhi.org/spring-cleaning (Link in our bio)
#BWHI #CYL2 #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Health is a human right.
On World Health Day, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing health equity for Black women and families everywhere.
Where you live should not determine how long you live. Your income should not dictate the quality of your care. Your race should not shape whether you are believed, protected, or prioritized.
Health is more than access to a doctor.
It is safe birth.
It is preventive care.
It is mental wellness.
It is economic stability.
It is dignity.
At BWHI, we know that equity requires action, through policy, research, and programs that center Black women’s lived realities.
Today, and every day, we work toward a future where Black women don’t have to fight for the care they deserve.
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
We are honored to present Luminaries of Health.
The Black Women’s Health Imperative will convene three MacArthur “Genius” Fellows Byllye Y. Avery, Dorothy Roberts, and Loretta Ross for a rare and powerful public conversation on the past, present, and future of reproductive justice in the United States.
Each of these trailblazers has fundamentally reshaped how this country understands health, not as an individual outcome, but as a reflection of policy, power, and structural conditions. Their work has transformed research, organizing, and national dialogue, centering Black women’s lived experiences as essential to advancing justice for all.
Join us as we learn from the women who helped define the field and who continue to shape its future.
Click the link in our bio.
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
When men speak up about women’s health, it matters.
Dr. Jay Barnett @justhealdrjay shared a powerful memory with @jessicashepherdmd of coming home from college and seeing his mother struggle through perimenopause. Because he was studying anatomy and physiology, he understood what was happening in her body and he used that knowledge to advocate for her. He encouraged her to question doctors. He helped her find ways to manage her symptoms. He paid attention.
He also issued a challenge to other men: Educate yourselves.
Black women often experience menopause earlier and with more intense symptoms yet too many suffer in silence or are dismissed in clinical settings. Support at home can make all the difference.
Men, this is your invitation.
If a Black woman has ever loved you, raised you, partnered with you, or shaped your life, her health should matter to you.
Join the Her Health Challenge.
Share why Black women’s health matters in your life.
Make a donation in honor of the women you love or in memory of those we’ve lost.
Herhealth.bwhi.org (link in our bio)
We’re proud to support She Thrives: A Maternal Health Experience
Maternal health in Texas demands urgency.
Black women in Texas experience maternal mortality rates more than twice that of white women. Many counties are maternal care deserts, limiting access to prenatal and postpartum services. And these disparities persist across income and education levels, making clear that this is not about individual choices. It’s about systems.
That’s why She Thrives is more than an event. It’s a movement.
This powerful gathering will bring the community together for a maternal health panel, wellness experiences, and vital resources while raising funds to support the Black Women’s Health Imperative and our work advancing maternal health equity nationwide.
Because when mothers thrive, communities thrive.
Join the movement. Support the mission. Protect Black motherhood.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/she-thrives-black-maternal-health-experience
(Link in our Bio)
@nahsehouston #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Recovery is what you do after you’ve been drained.
Restoration is what you do so you don’t have to keep running on empty.
Black women are often taught to push through, be strong, and keep going.
But your nervous system, your hormones, your heart they need more than survival.
You don’t have to earn restoration.
You deserve it. 💜
#NationalSelfCareDay #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
This Minority Health Month, we’re spotlighting the women turning lived experience into leadership.
Meet the voices behind We Are ILL, founder Victoria Reese Brathwaite @picturethisvic and Director of Communications Ashley Ratcliff Lundy, @ashleyadores who are using their journeys with MS to reshape how care is delivered and experienced.
Through advocacy, storytelling, and direct engagement with healthcare providers, they are helping advance more culturally competent care and ensuring Black women are seen, heard, and understood in clinical spaces.
This is what it looks like to move from experience to impact.
Read about Victoria and Ashley (link in our bio)
Across the country, men are stepping up.� That’s what the Her Health Challenge is about.
We’re inviting men to lead publicly, to lend their voice, share why Black women’s health matters to them, and make a leadership commitment to this work.
This campaign is about love, responsibility, and action. Men �honoring the women who raised them and standing beside the women they love by investing in the organization that continues to show up for Black women with integrity and impact.
Our goal? A national wave of men across cities and communities is joining the Her Health Challenge and putting real support behind their words.
If Black women’s health has touched your life, this is your moment to show it.
Join us. Carry the legacy forward. �herhealth.bwhi.org/� (Link in our bio)
April is National Minority Health Month, a time to center equity, access, and justice in healthcare. Black women continue to face disparities in maternal health, chronic disease, and mental health outcomes. This month, we amplify solutions rooted in community, policy, and prevention. #MinorityHealthMonth #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Thank you @EnergyCommerce for elevating health care affordability. Rising hospital costs are deepening disparities for Black women, while many hospitals benefit from billions in 340B savings without clear patient benefit.
Major win for WNBA players!
In their new collective bargaining agreement, teams must now obtain consent from pregnant players before trading them, a long-overdue protection that follows the controversy surrounding Dearica Hamby’s 2023 trade while pregnant.
The agreement also includes salary cap exceptions for injured or pregnant players, expanded family planning benefits, and a historic revenue-sharing model expected to generate more than $1 billion in player salaries and benefits over seven years.
More than 90% of players participated in the unanimous vote.
Pregnancy should never be a penalty. Whether on the court, in the office, or anywhere else. Women deserve protections that honor both their labor and their lives.
#BWHI #HealthEquity #WomensHealth #TheImperative
BWHI is still inviting vendors to partner with us in advancing health equity through our programs, events, and special initiatives. If you’re passionate about purpose-driven work and ready to contribute your expertise to a mission that centers Black women’s health, we’d love to hear from you.
🔗 Submit your vendor interest: bwhi.org/bid-information (Link in bio)
Join us in creating meaningful impact and supporting a future where Black women thrive.
#BWHI #VendorsWanted #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Cherise Doyley, a mother of three, was in labor when her autonomy was put on trial.
From a hospital bed in Florida, she was handed a tablet. On the screen: a judge, lawyers, doctors, hospital staff. While in active labor, she was pulled into a Zoom court hearing about her own body.
Cherise wanted a vaginal birth. The hospital pushed for a C-section.
As a professional doula with three prior C-sections including one complicated by hemorrhage, she understood the risks. She hoped to avoid another major surgery and the recovery that comes with it.
But during that hearing, she had no lawyer. No advocate. No one explaining what was happening.
After three hours of testimony, the judge ruled she could continue laboring unless an emergency arose.
Overnight, she was wheeled into surgery. Her baby was delivered by C-section.
This is not just a birth story. It is a story about bodily autonomy, informed consent, and what happens when systems override Black women’s voices, even in their most vulnerable moments.
Video and background credit: @propublica
As Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, we honor @amberjmike.
When Amber went in for a myomectomy, she expected recovery, rest, and a return to normal life. Cancer was not on her mind. But just one month later, an unexpected symptom changed everything.
What followed:
12 rounds of chemotherapy.
3 rounds of radiation.
2 major surgeries.
And a powerful lesson in surrender, resilience, and trusting her body in ways she never imagined.
Amber’s story reminds us that cancer doesn’t always come with warning signs and that early attention to symptoms can save lives. It also reminds us that behind every diagnosis is a whole person navigating fear, faith, strength, and uncertainty.
Read Amber’s full story in our latest Behind the Diagnosis blog and join us in amplifying survivor voices.
Because awareness is not just about statistics. It’s about stories. #BehindTheDiagnosis #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Black women’s health work has always been about protecting our whole community. That includes transgender women.
We cannot talk about health equity and quietly carve people out.
Trans Black women deserve providers who listen without judgment, care that is free from discrimination, mental health support that honors both their trauma and resilience, access to HIV prevention and treatment, and policies that protect their lives rather than put them at risk.
Today, on Transgender Day of Visibility, we affirm that dignity, access, and protection belong to everyone.
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Today we celebrate National Doctors’ Day, and we honor the physicians who show up for our communities every single day.
For Black women in particular, compassionate and culturally responsive care can be life-saving. Representation matters. Respect matters. Research matters. And the partnership between patient and provider matters.
To every doctor committed to advancing health justice and improving care for Black women and families, thank you for your dedication, your advocacy, and your service.
And to our community: build relationships with providers who honor your voice. You deserve care that feels safe, informed, and empowering.
#NationalDoctorsDay #BWHI #HealthEquity #BlackWomensHealth