Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause

“There she is. . . the “too much” woman. The one who loves too hard, feels too deeply, asks too often, desires too much.

There she is taking up too much space, with her laughter, her curves, her honesty, her sexuality. Her presence is as tall as a tree, as wide as a mountain. Her energy occupies every crevice of the room. Too much space she takes.

There she is causing a ruckus with her persistent wanting, too much wanting. She desires a lot, wants everything—too much happiness, too much alone time, too much pleasure. She’ll go through brimstone, murky river, and hellfire to get it. She’ll risk all to quell the longings of her heart and body. This makes her dangerous.

She is dangerous.

And there she goes, that “too much” woman, making people think too much, feel too much, swoon too much. She with her authentic prose and a self-assuredness in the way she carries herself. She with her belly laughs and her insatiable appetite and her proneness to fiery passion. All eyes on her, thinking she’s hot shit.

Oh, that “too much” woman. . . too loud, too vibrant, too honest, too emotional, too smart, too intense, too pretty, too difficult, too sensitive, too wild, too intimidating, too successful, too fat, too strong, too political, too joyous, too needy—too much.

She should simmer down a bit, be taken down a couple notches. Someone should put her back in a more respectable place. Someone should tell her."

---Ev’Yan Whitney

Mainstream white culture does not like rule breakers. Specifically, mainstream culture mocks, invisibilizes and punishes people who consistently live their truths out loud and challenge notions of white supremacy, patriarchy and misogyny. This is especially so for Black women and as we age, the politics of gender, race and identity are amplified by ageism. In this episode,  we explore what it takes to live a full and healthy life, out loud, with Nia Wilson. 

Nia Wilson is a Sagittarius, child of the Orisa Oya, cultural organizer, healer and all around bad ass. She is also the Co-Director of SpiritHouse, a Black women-led Healing Justice organization that utilizes the framework of CPR (culture, practice and ritual) to work with communities impacted by systemic oppression to heal and identify community derived ways to keep each other safe. She is also learning (unlearning in some cases) what is means to be well, whole, happy, soft and cared for by her family and community.

For more information about SpiritHouse, click the link: https://www.spirithouse-nc.org/

Episode Notes: 

Harlem, NY March 19th Tea and Toddies Event Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bgg2sm-and-bdac-presents-tea-and-toddies-tickets-95543191257

Ayanna Pressley video reference: https://theglowup.theroot.com/exclusive-rep-ayanna-pressley-reveals-beautiful-bald-1841039847

SpiritHouse Tribe Member Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs Black Feminist Breathing Meditation: 

https://blackfeministbreathing.tumblr.com/post/172251240385/blackfeministbreathing-iexhale-collage-by

Nap Ministry: IG @Thenapministry Blog https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/