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. 💜
Pauli Murray was ahead of her time and shaping the future.
Her legal frameworks helped lay the foundation for gender and racial equity law, influencing the very policies that protect people from discrimination in the workplace and beyond. Long before it was mainstream, she named the intersections of race and gender and fought for protections that reflected that reality.
Her work laid critical groundwork for workplace protections and anti-discrimination policy that still impact us today.
Because here’s the truth:
Employment justice is health justice.
Safe workplaces, fair pay, and freedom from discrimination directly impact mental health, physical well-being, and economic stability.
Her legacy aligns with BWHI Pillar IV: Employment & Education Justice & Equity, which recognizes that economic opportunity and educational access are not separate from health, they are essential to it.
Pauli Murray didn’t just argue cases.
She reshaped the law.
And we continue that fight to ensure Black women are protected, valued, and thriving in every space we enter.
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
Big sis energy.
Board-certified facts.
No fluff.
@nicolealiciamd thank you for the tips we didn’t know we needed but absolutely do.
This is the kind of guidance Black women deserve. 💜
#BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative #BlackDoctors
Join My Sister's Keeper MSU Chapter On March 3rd in the USC Theater for a screening of MEPERIOD. @mysisterskeeper_msu @NationalMSK
ME PERIOD. is a powerful 30-minute documentary that amplifies the voices of Black women and girls navigating menstruation, reproductive health, stigma, and systemic inequities. Produced by the Black Women’s Health Imperative, the film centers lived experiences while
exploring the intersection of menstrual health, racial disparities, medical bias, and access to care.
Share with your MSU bear! We hope to see them there! 💙🩷🩵
Click the link in our bio to rsvp!
We just watched “A Day in the Life Without Black Women’s Inventions” by @nikitadumptruck and whew…
So many things we touch daily, from hair care tools to home innovations to tech foundations were created or improved by Black women. And they did it while navigating racism, sexism, lack of funding, and being denied patents simply because they were Black.
Some were the very first to invent. Others transformed existing tools into what we now rely on every day. Either way, they shaped modern life.
Black women have always been builders, problem-solvers, and innovators, even when the system tried to erase them.
Imagine a day without their brilliance.
Now imagine giving them the credit, access, and investment they deserved.
#blackHistory #blackhistorymonth #BWHI #BlackWomensHealth #TheImperative
Black women are caregivers, professionals, entrepreneurs, mothers, leaders, and culture shapers.
Yet we continue to face disproportionate health risks across maternal health, heart disease, HIV, diabetes, and mental health.
Philanthropy isn’t charity, it’s impact.
When individuals, foundations, and partners invest in Black women’s health, they:
• Strengthen families
• Improve community wellness
• Reduce healthcare disparities
• Support economic stability
• Protect future generations
Investing in Black women’s health isn’t a gesture.
It’s a strategy for healthier communities and a stronger society.
Partner with us. Donate. Amplify the work.
bwhi.org
We checked in with our MSK students to talk about student loan policy, nursing, and what the future looks like for Black women entering the healthcare workforce.
The conversation was honest and necessary. When student loan policies shift, they don’t just impact balance sheets, they shape who can afford to pursue advanced degrees, who can stay in the field, and who gets pushed out before they ever get started.
For Black women in nursing, rising costs and unstable loan policies can mean delaying dreams, taking on additional work, or reconsidering career paths altogether. That has real implications for representation, patient trust, and health equity.
We’re amplifying student voices because policy decisions affect real lives. @nationalmsk
Click the link in our bio to read the full blog and hear directly from the students.
Sexual health is whole health. Period.
We can’t talk about wellness and leave pleasure, intimacy, and confidence out of the conversation. Your sexual health is healthcare. It deserves honesty, information, and care without shame.
Shouting out our girl Ashley Cobb on the launch of her new book, “Pleasure, Please:” The Black Woman’s Guide to Unapologetic Pleasure and Confidence” 👏🏾
“This book is where we get honest about what we were taught, what we were never taught, and what we actually deserve. It’s part education, part pep talk, and part permission slip to take your needs seriously. We talk pleasure, confidence, and sexual health in a way that feels real and doable, not preachy and not perfect.” - @sexwithashley
📷 : @goodgirllit
www.sexwithashley.com/book (Link in our Bio)
Anna Julia Cooper was one of the earliest voices to connect education to freedom, dignity, and long-term health. She fiercely advocated for Black women’s intellectual and economic equity, understanding that opportunity shapes outcomes in classrooms, workplaces, and communities.
Long before we had language like “social determinants of health,” she knew this truth:
Education is a long-term health intervention.
Her legacy lives on through BWHI Pillar IV: Employment & Education Justice & Equity, which recognizes that access to quality education and fair employment opportunities directly impacts economic stability, healthcare access, and overall well-being.
When Black women are educated, employed, and empowered, entire communities thrive.
This is Black history.
This is policy.
And this is the blueprint for equity.
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