Black and Menopausal

These are are deeply personal experiences of vulnerability, courage, embarrassment, empowerment, pain, suffering, healing, and liberation. This is the first time an anthology of this kind has been published. The collective voices of the authors are in alignment with a shift occurring throughout the African Diaspora. Despite marginalization and invisibility, Black women and trans people all over the world are standing in their authenticity and taking charge of telling their own narratives. As a psychotherapist who has specialized in working with clients around sexuality experiences and trauma, I have directly witnessed the positive transformative effect Black women and trans people experience when they have safe spaces and platforms to be seen, heard, and taken seriously.

This book is not just another menopause book. It is gentle, yet it is vociferous, and one that has been needed in the perimenopause, menopause space that is continuously silent in conveying other 'voices'. The impact is that when you read and see stories from people who look like you, you feel more of a connection and know that you are not alone. You know that they have an understanding of your background and/ or struggles. Without a doubt being able to read these stories is powerful when the one telling the story looks similar to you. It also provides a range of accounts from an array of Black people, something for everyone. The book's tone and format are effortlessly digestible and have a story/ narrative for many Black people to resonate with, as well as for those that it indirectly affects to learn. In addition, I strongly recommend those in the medical profession and beyond read this book with compassion, but also I would hope it further stresses why the menopause canvas is harming so many when it remains one colour. My experience as a Black woman cannot be validated based on a white woman's lived experience. Our needs are different. This book provides a foundation for the past, present and future Black and Menopausal generations.

As a double board-certified specialist in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, the work of Rolston and Christie was eye opening, fresh, and fervently relevant to the women I have cared for over the course of my career. This is a must read for any practitioner in the female intimate wellness space as well as the women of color who are so often disregarded and seen as both trivial and strong. This is the connection we have been waiting for to shed light on a buried subject matter!!

Black and Menopausal is ground breaking, comprehensive, and insightful. The storytelling by this incredible sister-community of griots serves as a modern-day rite of passage for black women and girls worldwide that breaks through the secrecy and shame commonly associated with menopause. It provides a rich pathway for black women of all ages to define womanhood no longer framed by patriarchal views that values women on the basis of their sexual prowess and reproductive capacity. Black and Menopausal is a bold celebration of black women's bodies and lives. I wish this incredible resource existed when I transitioned into my season of menopause to guide me in creating holistic narratives about my maturing body when my mother with dementia could no longer share her stories and experiences.