Women Archives - Page 2 of 9 - Narrative Network

Ageless & Fly

Posted on March 29, 2017 by sylviawonglewis@gmail.com

My ‘Ageless, Fly, Advanced Humans’ Pinterest page is a work in progress. Curated to inspire, I expanded it recently in honor of Women’s History Month. I also inserted ‘Still radical’ to update the title.

Still radical. The recent US presidential election has generated requests for my diversity and anti-racism work just as I moved on to do more fun activities. Political, community activities, like meetings, marching and pressuring elected officials to protect the arts, gardens, schools, housing, and historic sites are still my focus.

As caregiver to an elder relative, I decided to signup at the local senior center. The two feisty, black ladies who welcomed me said: “You live nearby? Great. Can you do a presentation on Langston Hughes tomorrow? These people don’t know a thing about Black History.” The twin sisters, both retired, 80-year-old educators said in unison: “Retirement? What’s old? There’s still work to do!”

The twins reminded me of the women on my ‘Ageless’ page. They are all living with grace, style and purpose. When you get a chance, check out the stunning 86-year-old bride making an entrance in her purple-lavender wedding cape and dress. A buffed 74-year-old athlete showed off her glistening muscles. There’s also an ancient African Queen receiving a kiss on her forehead from a granddaughter with the quote: ‘Peace to my ancestors and my elders. I walk in your strength, legacy, power, today and everyday.” Click here to see amazing images.

Here are my Women’s History Month highlights:

smithie sista — Sisterhood w/Smithie, Janice Morrison, brunch at Lido’s, Harlem.

Sisterhood. Although March is recognized as Women’s History Month, I celebrate women all the time. You may thank Smith College, my alma mater, for that! I always enjoy the sisterhood of Smithies and Sib meet-ups.

United Nations. I attended the UN International Women’s Day’s conference. The theme was women’s work – the unpaid and paid kind. The horror stories that I heard about girls and women’s work around the world filled me with empathy and gratitude.

Award-winning actor, Anne Hathaway, this year’s UN Goodwill Ambassador and mother of an infant, spoke about paid maternity leave and how outrageous it is to expect women to go back to work so soon after giving birth.

“The deeper into the issue of paid parental leave I go, the clearer I see the connection between persisting barriers to women’s full equality and empowerment, and the need to redefine and in some cases, de-stigmatize men’s role as caregivers. In other words, to liberate women, we need to liberate men.

Ann Hathaway — Anne Hathaway, UN Goodwill Ambassador, was keynote speaker.

“I don’t mean to imply that you need to have children to care about and benefit from this issue—whether you have—or want—kids, you will benefit by living in a more evolved world with policies not based on gender. We all benefit from living in a more compassionate time where our needs do not make us weak, they make us fully humans.”

For Anne Hathaway’s full speech, click here.

American women are still waiting for our country to catch up with Iceland. But the rest of the world’s women need serious help.

“Iceland’s government announced plans to eradicate gender pay disparities by 2022. Four Russian feminist activists unfurled a giant poster outside the Kremlin in Moscow, denouncing the patriarchy (they were arrested). India’s prime minister honored a symbol of rural women’s aspirations for dignity and self-sufficiency — the toilet. The Egyptian authorities said they would allow female prisoners an extra family visit this month.” To read more, click here.

Brooklyn Museum’s Fund for African American Art Benefit honored Pamela J. Joyner for her courageous and tireless commitment to artists. Talk about fly! Ms. Joyner is a beloved and fabulous arts advocate. “She’s a treasure to the black artist. There’s no one like her!” artist Jack Whitten told the audience. A panel discussion ‘Breaking the Canon’ moderated by Rujeko Hockley, featured artists Simone Leigh, Hugo McCloud, Julie Mehretu, and Jack Whitten. A private reception was held in the beautiful Beaux-Arts Court with live music and delicious food. Click here for more about Pamela J. Joyner.

mother, grandmother — mother Carmen, grandmother, Violet

Maternal Re-post. I always reflect on family during Women’s History Month. If she were alive today, I think my mother would feel proud that her Chinese-Caribbean story was featured in the New York Historical Society’s Museum & Library exhibit (2014) called “Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion.” It chronicled the complex history of the Chinese in the Americas and the challenges of immigration and migration. Click here for a link.

Influential Black Women 2017, TNJ25 honorees

Network Journal. We attended the Network Journal’s 19^th Annual ’25 Influential Black Women in Business. Aziz Gueye Adetimirin, founder, CEO of The Network Journal Communication Inc., greeted the audience with lovely words of gratitude to my husband Byron. Apparently Byron had keynoted TNJ25’s inaugural luncheon in Brooklyn nineteen years ago. Held this year at the grand Marriott Marquis, TNJ25 is considered NYC’s top networking event for diverse professionals. Here is an official description of the award event from TNJ’s website:

“Launched in March 1999, The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business Awards honors women whose professional achievements have significantly impacted an industry or profession, and who also have made an important contribution to their community. A “TNJ25” honoree typically is a business owner, or a partner, president, CEO, board chair, or other senior-management executive with significant decision-making authority in the corporate, nonprofit (including academia and medicine), or government sector.” Click here for profiles of the women honored.

Art galleries. Visiting museums and art galleries are my favorite weekend activity. On a recent Saturday I wandered around three art galleries with artist friend Martha Mae Jones. We started with expressionist artist Jack Whitten’s show at Hauser & Wirth. We saw a dance rehearsal and art inspired by Romare Bearden’s ‘Bayou Fever’ at DCMoore gallery. Finally, Martha’s late friend Jeff Donaldson’s show currently running at Kravets/Wehby Gallery was the icing on the cake. His affirmation of the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement shines through with lots of paintings of black women. Go see it! Here’s a link to a Donaldson review.

w/artist Martha Mae Jones, posing next to a Jack Whitten sculpture.

What did you do for Women’s History Month?

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Affirmations for positivity

Posted on December 2, 2016December 6, 2016 by sylviawonglewis@gmail.com

Affirmations for positive vibrations are needed now more than ever. Holiday blues and post-election woes have gotten us down. Rude and racist people are coming out of their closets. I noticed that my snap back timing has been off. When someone was rude to me, I was stunned. I didn’t have a quick comeback. It took me a moment to regroup.

Snap back: Recently, at an event for small business owners and an art exhibit launch, an angry woman with cornrowed bangs stood over me, pointed a finger and snapped. She was rude and racist. “How could you side with those immigrants when your own sisters can barely survive? They are working for minimum wage at Mickey Ds trying to raise a family with four kids. And you want the immigrants to get more?” Where did that come from, I thought.

I was seated with two other black women having wine and cheese. During small talk, the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel closing and layoffs came up. Miss Angry Lady, who was not part of our conversation but standing nearby, chimed in: “I’m glad they got fired! Those immigrant washroom workers were paid $25 an hour. They will get $130,000 severance pay! I’m glad Trump got elected. He helped a lot of black people, especially rappers like P. Diddy become rich and successful!”

So, I said something lame like: “Oh wow, that’s not right!” She shot back at me: “Oh, you must be one of those Spanish-speaking types!” I shot back: “What does that matter?” She snapped: “You know, I’m tired of bitches like you. Kiss my black ass!” She walked away.

I was stunned. I looked to my companions. They consoled me. “Girl, don’t worry about her. We should have warned you. She’s kind of cre-cre.”

As a native New Yorker, my radar for crazy people is finely tuned. But the atmosphere of the elegant Municipal Building art galley and the wine must have put me at ease.

Angry lady was lucky she got me. Had she run into my sister, it would have been a different story. There would have been a rumble. My baby sister, who is twice my size, inherited the family’s drama genes. She has a short fuse and relishes a public street scene. When we were kids, I used to threaten playmates with her: “Don’t let me call my ‘Karate Ca-razy’ sister on you!

Razor’s Edge: When I got home, I didn’t tell my husband. I was too upset. Over dinner the next day I told him. He chuckled and knowingly shook his head. “Everybody’s on razor’s edge since the election,” he said. In his 80-plus years on this earth he said he has seen his own share of angry black women. “It’s not myth! It’s truth. Black women have every right and good reasons to be angry,” he said.

Angry black women: Check out insightful counseling segments about angry black women with TV host Iyanla Vanzant. “A white woman’s emotional reactions, regardless of how outlandish or inappropriate, are perceived differently than those of black women. When white women express their emotional state, it is perceived as a “bad hair day” or perhaps, a hormonal imbalance.” Click here to read more.

Furthermore, some black women proudly own their ‘angry black woman’ journey. “Because I was in 8th grade the first time I was called an Oreo and told that I “wasn’t really black” like it was a compliment.” To read more, click here.

Affirmations can help and heal. Here are a few of my favorites from the Happy Black Woman site:

I choose to radiate love, joy & gratitude today. I know life is too short to dwell on negativity. I walk in the light!
I am calm in the face of conflict. I brush annoyances off quickly & easily. I agree to disagree. I am bigger than that! Click here for more affirmations.

Do you have positive affirmations? Please share.

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Finding Sojourner and Elizabeth

Posted on March 16, 2016March 23, 2016 by sylviawonglewis@gmail.com

Finding Sojourner Truth’s former residence at 74 Canal Street in New York City’s Chinatown was a fun find. She was a domestic worker and attended churches on John, Duane, and Church streets. The noted feminist also worked at a women’s shelter on Bowery, according to NY Historical Society records.

In honor of Women’s History month I chose to focus on two of my favorite New York women—Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Jennings. The more I learned about these women the more I asked myself– Where are their biopics? And who would play them? The world needs their stories! As a Lower Manhattan resident, I feel proud that this community was once New York’s original black community. This is holy ground! The African Burial ground is nearby too. As a genealogist, I’m always digging in local archives and strolling through the neighborhood in search of African American and women’s history.

Queen of reinvention

Sojourner would have been the queen of reinvention had she lived today! Born a slave in 1797 in upstate New York, Isabella Baumfree was the twelfth child of her enslaved parents James and Betsey. She went on to become America’s most famous abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Most of her siblings had been sold away by their Dutch enslavers. Like her father, she was over 6 feet tall. ‘Baumfree’ is a Low Dutch word for ‘tall tree.’ Sojourner, known as Belle, actually ‘freed’ herself at 32 years old. Friendly with local Quakers who abhorred slavery, Sojourner used her networking skills to move herself and one of her four babies to New York City in 1829. She lived in NYC fourteen years. But in 1843, at 46 years old, she got a ‘call from God’ to ‘go east.’ She woke up and reinvented herself again. She boarded a ferry to Connecticut, changed her name to Sojourner and became a traveling preacher. She also lived in Northampton, Massachusetts for many years. Sojourner finally moved to Michigan where she joined family members. Over a thousand people attended Sojourner’s funeral when she died at 86 years old.

You can view Sojourner’s famous image on display at the Met- NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The photo that she sold to earn money for her many human rights causes is emblazoned with her words: “I sell the shadow to support the substance.” To see the image, click here.

To learn more about Sojourner’s life in Ulster County, New York, click here

Surprisingly, both Sojourner and Elizabeth Jennings had famous public transit court cases 100 years before Rosa Parks was born!

Sojourner books to read

I picked two Sojourner books to read during Women’s History Month: A children’s book–Who Was Sojourner Truth? By Yona Zeldis McDonough, Penguin Young Readers Series and an adult book– Narratives of Sojourner Truth with ‘Book of Life’ and ‘A Memorial Chapter’ with an Introduction and Notes by Imani Perry; George Stade, Consulting Editorial Director, Barnes & Noble Classics, New York.

Sojourner dictated her ‘Narratives’ to feminist, abolitionist friend Olive Gilbert in 1850, whom she paid a fee for her services. This book was not an easy read as Gilbert inserted a lot of interpretive language. But it is full of amazing details. Sojourner explained why the horrific ‘unnatural’ acts that happened during her life in slavery are left out of her book. She crafted her own story and also kept a scrap book full of letters and news clippings, some of which is included in this “Narrative’ in a section called ‘Book of Life.’

Be surprised by lessor known facts

You will learn some differences between New York and Southern slavery. Mostly, you will be surprised by lesser known facts. For instance, I was shocked to learn that Sojourner was illiterate. Yet, her books, speeches, photo, and autograph were her bread and butter! Colorful details from her successful court cases and her dramatic and comedic testimonies would surely make an exciting film. Another surprising fact was that Dutch was her first language and that she spoke with a Dutch accent. The backstories to Sojourner’s famous quotes — “Ain’t I a Woman” and “What women want” are inspiring too.

Elizabeth Jennings

There are no books on Elizabeth Jennings. I learned about her during a Harlem church sermon. Elizabeth’s background was the opposite of Sojourner. Yet, their missions were the same. Both women were courageous and outrageous in their own way!

Jennings was rich, educated and born free during a time when most black folks were enslaved, illiterate and impoverished. Jennings is fairly known from her public transit court case. Although there is a street named for her in Lower Manhattan, few of my feminist colleagues have heard of Elizabeth Jennings.

*Elizabeth Jennings Place, New York City*

Her wealthy father was apparently the ‘tailor to the stars’ and on the Board of the original Abyssinian Baptist Church. Close friends of Frederick Douglass, her parents were friends of successful white and colored entrepreneurs, politicians, skilled tradesmen and women and abolitionists. We rarely hear about New York’s earliest colored settlers and abolitionists like the Jennings. Mr. Jennings held a patent for renovating clothing and operated a very successful shop on Church Street. Elizabeth was privileged, educated, trained in music and worked as a teacher at a school for colored children.

Here’s an excerpt from my blog post archives about Elizabeth Jennings:

About 100 years before Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Jennings refused to get off a horse-drawn streetcar in New York. Think of Miss Jennings as a ‘Rosa Parks’ with a New York attitude. Not only did the 24 year-old teacher and church organist refuse to get off the horse-drawn streetcar, but she fought the driver, conductor and policeman, reminded them of her rights, sued them and the transit company and won! To reach more, click here.

The most comprehensive source for information on Elizabeth Jennings is John H. Hewitt’s article, “The Search for Elizabeth Jennings, Heroine of a Sunday Afternoon in New York City,” which was published in the journal New York History, vol. 71, no. 4 (October 1990).

John Eastman’s reference book Who Lived Where: A Biographical Guide to Homes and Museums (New York: Facts on File, 1983), gives the following New York City places of residence for Sojourner Truth:

73 Nassau Street (1829-30)
177 Duane Street (1830-31)
Fourth Street, Franklin Street, Third Street (1830s)

Interestingly, he doesn’t mention Canal Street. The 74 Canal Street is included in this sketch of Truth included in MAAP: Mapping the African-American Past, a project of Teacher’s College at Columbia University.

Who are your favorite women who should be honored for Women’s History Month? Whose biopic would you like to see?

Latina mental health

Posted on February 2, 2016March 6, 2016 by sylviawonglewis@gmail.com

Latina mental health was front and center for a change thanks to Smith College alum Dior Vargas ’09. The Latina feminist mental health activist and recipient of the White House Champion of Change for Disability Advocacy, presented insights about mental illness/health and race. Her clarion call was to all Latinas and People of Color (POC) to step out of the shadows. She also wants the rest of us to wake up about this issue. The Smith College NYC Club event was held at UJA-Federation of New York.

Silenced no more – Dior opened her talk with personal stories.

“My mother slapped me when I first shared thoughts of suicide as a child,” said Vargas. “Therapy is for white people,” another relative told her. But Dior refused to be silenced.

“White criminals are considered mentally ill. But People of Color are treated like a criminals before considering that they might have a mental illness. Latins and People of Color battle microaggressions, cultural, religious, language barriers, and negative stereotypes that white people rarely face,” said Vargas.

Brown, Black pain – How many of you know or are related to someone with a mental illness? Do you know someone who needs therapy, counseling and treatment because of stress, grief, or depression? Would you call the police if your schizophrenic or bipolar child or relative attacked you? Are you in denial about your loved one’s pain? Does brown and black pain exist? Dior confronts these topics and more in her advocacy work. Her pioneering People of Color Mental Illness photography project, successfully funded on Kickstarter, is expanding globally.

Complex cultural stigmas, access to treatment and culturally sensitive services are big problems. Finding the right doctor, therapist, medicine, diagnosis and treatment add up to more challenges. We all know that racism and discrimination drives everyone crazy! But institutional racism against people of color in the medical, educational, police and justice system is rampant. Our own families, friends and communities are also part of the problem too.

Smith College alums, friends and family gathered to learn and listen. We engaged in dialogue about this invisible problem.

Comments from Smithies

How we talk and don’t talk – “Dior Vargas ’09 bravely shared her story and emboldened all of us to examine mental illness in our culture and in society, how we talk about it or don’t talk about it: the ingrained shame or taboo about mental illness, whether in the home, in schools, in our communities, the intersection of race, class, geography, ancestral memory, and identity as it relates to health, wholeness, mental illness as a disability, and resilience. Dior seamlessly integrated startling statistics, her own story, and powerful examples of her Photo Project, galvanizing people all over the world to share their truth via a supportive online community.

Dior is an activist, feminist, and mental health pioneer. It was a privilege to hear her. I feel like we were watching greatness unfold, as she is just starting out. I’m so proud of Dior and our Smith community who supported her on January 26 evening, with alumnae from both Smith College and The Smith College School of Social Work and friends of Smithies.” Vanessa Gates-Elston, NYC Smith Club, VP Programs

From invisible to visible – “I have been involved for many years with NYC-based Fountain House, the leading successful community mental health recovery model that has inspired development of similar Clubhouses – working communities – in 32 countries worldwide.

I was so moved by Dior, who shared her personal story of living with depression. She spoke about her long history of struggling with unbearable suffering – leading to suicide attempts to escape the pain. Stigma, lack of knowledge about mental illness and cultural norms in the Hispanic community led to her family’s inability to accept and communicate about her depression, leaving her devastated and socially isolated.

Dior’s commitment to speaking out about her personal journey touched everyone. She shared little-known statistics about the stigma and social distancing experienced by Black and Hispanic people living with mental illness that revealed they are largely invisible in society.

Seeking to change the media’s focus on mental illness as a “white person’s disease,” Dior created the inspiring People of Color Photo Project. Black, Hispanic and other People of Color post photos of themselves holding posters revealing their illnesses and celebrating their own strength and resilience. Invisible no longer, they stand as a model for others in their communities, calling for greater awareness and conversations about mental illness that can reduce stigma and encourage people to seek treatment leading to recovery.

Dior’s hard-won courage to speak out and her commitment to changing the way people of color with mental illness are perceived and treated by their families, communities and the media is ground-breaking and will make a real difference. Encouraging all other Smithies to support this amazing Project, I remain changed by Dior’s compelling personal story and her resounding call to action. Karen Pratt ’76, Fountain House, NYC.

Latina affirms – “As a Latina woman, I could relate to Dior’s presentation. Hispanic-Latin families are very close-knit, and therapy/counseling is not part of the culture nor is it accepted as essential to our well-being. Some change has happened, though very slow. Social media is helping to improve awareness of mental health in Hispanic/Latin communities. Doors are opening to communication among families with children with emotional challenges. Yet, more education and awareness about mental illness is needed to continue via social media, TV, radio and all avenues of communication in order to reduce the immense stigma embedded in the community.” Jennifer Rivera, Fountain House, NYC.

Make personal political; be an ally – “Ms. Vargas is an inspiration. She eloquently and courageously disclosed details of her journey living with mental illness. In the spirit of feminists before her, she made the personal political. She wove theories of intersectionality of race, gender, and sexual orientation. She advocated for policy and cultural changes to address health care. She challenged us to examine the ways stigma affects all of us, particularly people of color.

As allies, it can be an overwhelming task to figure out what we can do to join and follow Ms. Vargas’ charge. As she modeled for us, it can be easiest to start with the personal, by identifying and examining our personal beliefs about mental health care and mental illness.

Common myths and misunderstandings about therapy and mental health problems:

If I have mental health conditions, I am weak/bad.

If I need help, I am weak/less of a man.

If my child has mental illness, it means I am a bad parent.

I should keep my illness a secret/in the family.

I should be able to handle this on my own/ with the church’s help only/with my family’s help only.

If people were to learn about my issues, they will all judge me and I will lose my job (insert other negative consequence).

You can ask yourself and loved ones these questions and work to challenge the ones that are untrue, or unfair to yourself and others:

Do I judge people for going to therapy or seeking counseling? Do I think about those in therapy in stereotyped ways? Have I internalized stigmas? Do I worry that I will be judged and/or discriminated against for my mental health issues? “ Wendy Bassett, LCSW, AC’98, MSW ’03, Psychotherapist

What are your thoughts on how can we improve the mental health crisis for people of color?

Self-care is warfare

Posted on November 22, 2015March 6, 2016 by sylviawonglewis@gmail.com

Self-care event:L-R: Sylvia Wong Lewis w/Robin Stone, journalist; Marva York, attendee; Mimi Woods, NY Delta, Health & Wellness Committee Co-Chair. — **Self-care event**: L-R: Sylvia Wong Lewis w/Robin Stone, journalist; Marva York, attendee; Mimi Woods, NY Delta, Health & Wellness Committee Co-Chair.

Self-care is warfare. “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Audre Lorde’s much loved quote opened discussions on Thick, a documentary about black women, eating, stress, and size by Robin D. Stone, a journalist and health coach. The NYC premiere screening was a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority-NY Alumnae Chapter, Health & Wellness community outreach program. Click here for more on the Delta-NY Alumnae Chapter programs.

“Thick” Highlights:

Thick is a perfect title for a much needed conversation about being overweight in a stressful world. The recent timing, Tuesday, 11/17/2015 at The New School, was ideal as we get ready for Thanksgiving. Being ‘thick’ in all the right places—butt, legs, breasts— is considered attractive. Therein lies the mixed message. Would you risk your life and health to be sexy? There are many ways to answer this question. According to the Urban Dictionary, a ‘thick’ woman is “sexy, curvy, full-bodied, or big boned.”

‘Thick’ Black women were the stars of Stone’s documentary. Each told personal stories about weight, eating, and stress. One discussed her man’s preference for a ‘woman with some meat on her bones.’ Several recalled stories about ‘thick’ relatives who loved over-feeding them. One Sister listed diseases in her family resulting from obesity—diabetes and stroke. Another Sister recalled an obese friend who recently suffered a heart attack at 30! One young Sister, 19, reflected on her mother’s recent death from diabetes.

We were invited to “listen, witness and reflect.” It was wonderful group therapy in a theater full of multi-generational black women!

“We as black women are not supposed to be here. We were not expected to survive our history,” said Ms. Stone.

During the Q & A session, several shared micro-aggressive comments from family and friends: “Why are you going to the gym? You’re not fat!” “I know you don’t do drugs, so why are you losing weight?” The connection between money and access to healthy food was discussed. Bulimia and extreme weight loss was also part of the conversation. But emotional and mental stress was a major focus.

“As caretakers of the world, it’s time for us to get radical about our self-care,” Stone said.

My Fat Genes: Attending this event made me think about my fat relatives. I witnessed their difficulties. It is war! Like Oprah, they would win and lose their battles against weight gain several times over the years. We continue to cheer for them for being on a healthy journey. Event attendees wondered about what words should we with ourselves and others when the pounds pile back on. Do you say: “Big is beautiful” or “It’s ok to be you!” The current trend for big butts, breasts and implant surgeries was also discussed. One Sister in the film said that her doctor’s advice to get lap band surgery was a wake-up call. A while back I posted My Fat Genes to show the importance of genealogy with tips on how to learn about your family’s health history. What illnesses do you have in your family that are preventable through healthy lifestyle choices?

Click here to read more from My Fat Genes.

Audre Lorde’s quote: Self-care is a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual war. The Delta event inspired me re-read Lorde’s writing and the writing of other Black feminists who posted about her work, especially, A Burst of Light. I had forgotten that Lorde’s popular quote was taken from stories written while she struggled to live with breast cancer that had already spread to her liver. Clearly, she was fighting the battle of her life. Lorde fiercely described the challenges, from diagnosis, Western and Eastern medicine practices, doctors, so-called ‘experts,’ natural remedies, treatments, and prognosis. Lorde’s legacy to us then, is to get ready for battle on many fronts and keep fighting to the end. Here’s an excerpt from a commentary about Lord’s ‘warfare’ writing.

“A Burst of Light is an account of how the struggle for survival is a life struggle and a political struggle. Some of us, Audre Lorde notes, were never meant to survive. To have some body, to be a member of some group, can be a death sentence. When you are not supposed to live, as you are, where you are, with whom you are with, then survival is a radical action.”

Click here to read the full post.

In conclusion, Thick was a bold reality check for black women’s health. I thank Ms. Stone and the women who participated in this soul-searching documentary for their courage, honesty, and inspiration. I also thank the Deltas for excellent community outreach. I believe that many left the event feeling inspired and motivated to do at least one thing —take a walk, drink more water, or cook organic meals.

As the event closed, we were given three self-care prompts for homework:

What does your body reveal about your life story?
What has your body taught you about life?
What have you had to do to have peace with your body?

Click here for more on Robin Stone’s health coaching.

What stories does your body tell you today?

Category: Women

Ageless & Fly

Affirmations for positivity

Finding Sojourner and Elizabeth

Latina mental health

Self-care is warfare

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