My Life Raising Brown Girls

Breast cancer awareness is more than wearing pink. It is about education, prevention, early detection, access to quality healthcare, and standing together to support the women and families whose lives have been touched by this disease. Breast cancer does not discriminate. It can affect women of every age, race, background, and walk of life. However, the impact is not the same for everyone. For Black and Brown women, breast cancer can bring additional challenges, including health disparities, barriers to screening and treatment, financial concerns, and unequal access to quality healthcare. Understanding Breast Cancer Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the breast grow uncontrollably and form a tumor. Some breast cancers grow slowly, while others can be aggressive and spread to other parts of the body. There are several types of breast cancer, and understanding the differences is important because the type of cancer, its stage, and its biological characteristics...

Mental health is an essential part of our overall well-being. It influences how we think, feel, manage stress, build relationships, make decisions, and navigate life's challenges. Yet, for Black and Brown individuals and families, conversations about mental health can be difficult to begin. Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we cope with stress, relate to others, make decisions, and function in everyday life. Mental health exists on a continuum, and our emotional well-being can change throughout our lives. Mental illnesses are health conditions that can affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, mood, behavior, relationships, and ability to manage daily activities. They range from mild to severe, and a person may experience more than one condition at the same time. Mental illness is not a personal failure, a lack of faith, or a sign of weakness. It is not something a per...

At forty-two, my menstrual cycle changed. Not gradually. Not quietly. It became something I had to manage, anticipate, and plan my life around. My periods became heavy. The bleeding was intense, and blood clots became a regular part of my experience. I never knew exactly what to expect, so I learned to prepare for the worst. I carried extra menstrual products everywhere.  I thought about where the nearest bathroom was. I worried about sitting too long. I worried about standing up. I worried about bleeding through my clothes. I worried about being caught somewhere without enough protection. And slowly, something else changed. My wardrobe. I had always loved wearing colorful, vibrant clothes. But those colors began disappearing from my closet. I started choosing dark, dreary clothing not because I suddenly stopped loving color, but because I was afraid of what might happen if I bled through my clothes. Black became practical. Dark colors became protection. My clothing choices ...

Dear Grandpa, It's been two years since you took your last breath, and somehow, it still doesn't feel real. Two years without your voice, your presence, your wisdom, and the comfort of knowing you were just a phone call or a visit away. People say time heals, but I am learning that time doesn't necessarily take away the missing. It simply teaches you how to live with the absence of someone who meant so much to you. You were my grandfather, but your role in my life was so much bigger than that. You were like a father to me. You helped shape me, loved me, and held a place in my life that words could never fully explain. There are certain people who leave footprints on your heart that can never be erased. You are one of those people. I wish I could sit with you one more time. I wish I could hear your voice, share another conversation, ask you a question, or simply enjoy being in your presence. There are days when I wish I could pick up the phone and call you, espec...

There is a kind of motherhood we don't talk about enough. It isn't the picture-perfect version. It isn't the version where everything is organized, the bills are paid, the house is peaceful, and Mom somehow manages to hold everything together without breaking. It's motherhood in survival mode. I became a mother while I was still trying to figure out how to hold my own life together. I was young, stretched thin, and carrying responsibilities that sometimes felt much bigger than my age, resources, and circumstances could comfortably hold. I loved my child deeply, but love alone didn't pay rent, ease financial pressure, calm anxiety, or slow down time. My oldest daughter was there with me during that season. She didn't just grow up through it; she experienced it alongside me. She felt the limitations, the stress, the uncertainty, and the days when I was doing everything I could but still running on empty. Even as a child, she was living through the real...