Black British women on health

Series

Colourful artwork made with paint and ink on textured watercolour paper. The artwork shows a Black woman in a blue hospital gown sat on a table in a hospital examination room, facing away from us. She is hunched forwards. Around her are is the deco of a hospital room, strip lighting, air conditioning vents and a small table with medical equipment laid out. To her left is are two large windows showing a different reality, one full of plants and the natural world, and a group of 3 people hugging in a gesture of support and understanding.

What Black women do when the NHS fails them. © Maïa Walcott for Wellcome Collection.

Health is wealth, as the saying goes. But for Black women, how can we prioritise our health and wellness as an asset? Our needs are often dismissed and overlooked as we navigate a healthcare system that was not built for us and still doesn’t function with us in mind. This system can also have a knock-on effect, fuelling harmful practices within our own communities too.

Presented by Black Ballad and edited by Jasmine Lee-Zogbessou presents a series of articles exploring both the physical and mental health consequences of this exclusion, lack of access and misogynoir. This series includes first-person essays from Cheryl Telfer, Mary W, Jaydee Seaforth, Sabrina-Maria Anderson and Jamila Pereira.

Article

We need less ‘sickle cell warriors’ and more allies

Rejecting the epithet “warrior”, Cheryl Telfer describes the pervasive effect sickle cell disease has on her life, and calls for more people to donate blood to help sicklers.

Article

Battling the heteronormativity of sexual health

As a queer, Black women, Mary W is sick of the never-ending hetero-cycle of clinic appointments, where her needs and sexuality are always a surprise to the doctor. She calls for a revolution.

Article

Don’t call me a strong Black woman

Her upbringing taught Jaydee Seaforth that she could never show pain or weakness, even when her internal distress was extreme. Find out how she learned to listen to her body.

Article

What Black women do when the NHS fails them

Sabrina-Maria Anderson explores misogynoir – hatred of Black women – within the NHS, and how women like her are consequently turning to other sources of medical support.

Article

Religion and mental health

At a time of extreme distress, Jamila Pereira found that the faith she had relied on was failing her. Here she describes how she found other ways to begin healing and finding happiness.