There is too much grief in the air right now, and it feels like it is just sitting with us. We are still trying to process the violence we spoke about just days ago, and now we are here again. This time, children’s lives were taken. That is not something you can soften or explain away. It is devastating in a way that reaches beyond words and settles deep in the heart.
At Black Women’s Health Imperative, we talk about health as something bigger than what happens in a doctor’s office. It is about whether you feel safe in your own home. It is about whether your children can grow up and simply be. It is about being able to move through the world without carrying fear in your body. When violence shows up like this, it shakes all of that.
Moments like this change how people sleep at night. They change the way communities gather and grieve and try to make sense of something that does not make sense.
So today we are not rushing past it. We are not pretending it is just another headline. We are sitting with the weight of it and holding space for the families and communities who are carrying more than anyone should have to carry.
We are not OK.
And if you or someone you love is living with violence, we want you to know there are places that understand and are ready to support you:
✨ @ujimacommunity, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
ujimacommunity.org
✨ @thesafesisterscircle
safesisterscircle.org
✨ @blackwomenrevolt
blackwomenrevolt.org
👉🏾National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or visit thehotline.org
Reaching out can feel hard, but you deserve safety, care, and the chance to live without fear.
Sis, We get it.
The day was long.
The to-do list never ends.
But relief doesn’t have to come in a glass. Sometimes what your body really needs is:
• Rest
• Regulation
• Movement
• Conversation
• Silence
• Water
• Sleep
Alcohol can feel like a shortcut to calm, but real restoration comes from supporting your nervous system, not numbing it. This isn’t about judgment. It’s about awareness.
What actually helps you unwind?
Drop it below. Let’s build a healthier list together. 💜
#AlcoholAwarenessMonth #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
We’re proud to share that our Interim Executive Vice President of Programs & Advocacy, Dr. Zsanai Epps @enviablezsanai, will join @NMQF as a keynote speaker at the 2026 Comms Mini-Summit in Washington, D.C.
On April 28, leaders from across the country will gather to discuss insights and strategies for advancing patient-centered communication, because how we communicate in healthcare directly shapes outcomes, trust, and equity.
Join the conversation and be part of the movement to move health equity forward.
🔗 Learn more: (Link in our bio)
#HealthEquity #NMQF2026 #BWHI #TheImperative
Sometimes self-care isn’t a routine.
It’s permission.
Permission to just be.
But today?
You don’t have to perform strength.
You can simply exist. And that is enough.
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. (Link in our bio)
We love a full circle moment. 💜
From teen mom to board-certified OB/GYN @dr.poucher is proof that your beginning does not limit your becoming.
Now, Owner of her own practice, The Labiaplasty Center of Los Angeles @labiaplastycenterofla , Co-founder of luxury intimate skincare line @bydrpoucher, and Women’s health advocate.
And seeing this powerful mother-daughter duo? That’s legacy in motion as her daughter now works in her private practice
We love to see it. 👏🏾
The administration has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the CDC. A physician, attorney, and public health expert, she served as Deputy Surgeon General during the president’s first term and spent 24 years in the U.S. Public Health Service. She has no discernible public record opposing vaccinations, and the American Public Health Association welcomed her nomination, citing her evidence-based approach and strong leadership background.
The credentials are there. The questions are about the environment she is walking into. She is the administration’s third pick for the job, inheriting an agency that has seen public firings, the resurgence of measles, and legally disputed changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. And she will report directly to RFK Jr.
For Black women, the CDC’s leadership is not a political abstraction. It shapes the data that drives policy and the research that informs care. It is a system that often determines whether our health is treated as a priority. We are watching closely.
Join BWHI, @theSJcenter, and @blackbooksexed for the final session of the 2-part webinar featuring an in-depth, vulnerable discussion about the trauma-informed care needed to support metropolitan and Southern communities that urgently need reproductive health advocacy.
Reproductive health is not just clinical, it is deeply connected to lived experience, systemic barriers, cultural context, and historical harm. Trauma-informed care acknowledges that reality and centers dignity, safety, and trust.
📅 Saturday, April 18
🕒 4:00 PM CT / 4:00 PM ET
If you care about equitable reproductive healthcare, community-centered advocacy, and advancing systems that truly serve Black women and families, this conversation is for you.
Join us. The work requires all of us.
RSVP now, link in our bio
We stand with survivors and grieving families, and we call for greater accountability, prevention, and protection for women everywhere.
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth
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.
(Link in our bio)
#BWHI #CYL2 #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
We are heartbroken by the passing of nurse and maternal health advocate Jenneh Rishe.
Jenneh dedicated her voice, her knowledge, and her lived experience to making sure women, especially those navigating complex health journeys never felt alone. Through her advocacy, education, and transparency, she created a space where so many felt seen, heard, and supported.
Those who knew Jenneh know she was a faithful believer, a fierce advocate, and a woman who showed up for others even on her hardest days. She often shared how much this community meant to her, how the encouragement, understanding, and solidarity lifted her when she needed it most.
That mutual care is her legacy.
We extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones and to everyone who was touched by her work. May we continue to advocate boldly, educate compassionately, and support one another in her honor.
Rest in peace, Jenneh. Your impact lives on. 💜
For Black Maternal Health Week, BWHI’s Programs, Advocacy & Policy, and Research teams are coming together for a powerful virtual conversation on maternal heart health.
Because heart disease is a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, Black women are disproportionately impacted.
Join us tonight at 6pm EST, Live on Zoom
Moderated by BWHI Interim EVP of Programs and Advocacy, Zsanai Epps, this webinar will feature a clinician, policy experts, and women with lived experience navigating cardiovascular conditions during pregnancy and postpartum.
We’ll break down:
• Warning signs and risk factors
• Prevention strategies for hypertension, preeclampsia, peripartum cardiomyopathy & postpartum heart failure
• How to advocate for yourself in medical spaces
• How to push for policy and systems change that protects Black mothers
@enviablezsanai @cheyenne.anaya
Don't miss this! Save your spot and join us. Register using the link in our bio.
#BlackMaternalHealth#BMHW2026 #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
At BWHI, we’re working toward a world where this kind of care is not the exception for Black women… it’s the standard.
@adaratheexplorer, you deserve to feel seen, heard, and cared for at every step of your healthcare journey. We all do. 💜🙌🏾✨
#blackmaternalhealthweek
So many beautiful young girls. So much power in the room.
Our Me Period screening was more than a film, it was a moment. A space where young girls saw themselves reflected, heard honest conversations about menstrual health, and felt affirmed in their experiences.
When we create safe spaces for truth, education, and visibility, we shift culture.
Special thank you to our sponsors, @bostonmedicalcenter , Boston Public Health Commission @healthyboston , and @hologic , for investing in young people and helping make this screening possible.
When girls understand their bodies, they grow into women who advocate for their health.
#MePeriod #BWHI #BlackGirlsHealth #TheImperative
Join us today 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
Today, we honored Black Maternal Health Week with a powerful conversation featuring our President & CEO, Joy D. Calloway @thejoyd_.
She shared why this week matters, how maternal health is deeply connected to chronic disease, and why community within our nonprofit ecosystem is more critical than ever in this moment.
Black women deserve safe, respectful, and equitable maternal care. And we will continue to push this work forward together.
#BlackMaternalHealthWeek
Today is the day we kick off 2026 Black Maternal Health Week!
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
On National Black Doula Day, we honor the birth workers who show up with cultural understanding, advocacy, and care that feels like home.
In a system where Black women are too often dismissed, Black doulas bring protection, presence, and power.
Birth should feel safe.
Shout out to astoldby.miosha on TikTok for amplifying this truth.
#blackdouladay #blackmaternalhealthweek #BWHI #blackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Black women deserve providers who listen.
Hospitals that protect.
Policies that prioritize their lives.
Communities that advocate alongside them.
Birth should not be a battleground. It should be a moment of dignity, care, and joy.
Learn more about how BWHI is protecting black moms and supporting black families through their birthing experiences. (Link in our bio)
#BlackMaternalHealthWeek #BMHW2026 #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
It’s Black Maternal Health Week and we are centering birth equity, advocacy, and culturally competent care.
Black women deserve safe births and Respectful care.
Shout out to dr.sarah_jam for continuing to advocate, educate, and center Black maternal health in every space she enters. Leadership like this moves the needle.
This week and every week we push for care that protects Black mothers and builds a future where thriving is the standard.
#BlackMaternalHealthWeek #BirthEquity #BWHI #TheImperative