Why Now Is the Time for Black Women to Prioritize Their Health

At the top of this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed what many of us have already felt,Black women are being pushed out of the workforce at alarming rates. Nearly 300,000 Black women exited the labor market between February and April 2025. In April alone, more than 106,000 jobs were lost, raising the unemployment rate for Black women to 6.1 percent. That number is well above the national average and reverses years of slow, hard-fought progress.

To some, this might look like just another economic shift. But the truth is, what’s happening is deeper. It’s not only about jobs. It’s about health. It’s about stress. It’s about the toll of constantly trying to keep everything together while living in systems that were never designed to support us.

In a recent post, executive coach Christy Rutherford called this moment The Great Repositioning, an invitation for Black women to finally stop settling for jobs that leave them overqualified, underpaid, and overlooked. But it’s not just a professional turning point. For many, it’s a personal one. It’s a call to stop pushing through burnout, pain, and fatigue. It’s time to reposition your health, not just your title.

In addition to facts like the persistent pay gap that Christy Rutherford highlighted, there are also significant medical realities to consider:

Many Black women report years of dismissed symptoms and delayed diagnoses, especially related to hormone health and chronic fatigue

• Women make up 80 percent of autoimmune diagnoses, many tied to chronic stress

• 80 percent of Black women will experience fibroids in their lifetime

• Heart disease is the number one cause of death for Black women

• Most of these conditions are worsened,or triggered,by unaddressed, prolonged stress

For years, we’ve been praised for being strong. For being dependable. For doing it all. But that strength has often come at the expense of our physical and emotional health.

At DailyRenewalCo, I see the impact firsthand. Patients who appear successful and composed are also exhausted, inflamed, and disconnected from their bodies. They’re living with cycle changes, mood swings, anxiety, weight shifts, brain fog, and energy crashes,but have been told to “just manage it” or “wait and see.”

This is exactly why I launched my concierge practice.

I wanted to create a space where Black women could receive comprehensive, judgment-free care. A space where you don’t have to prove you’re sick enough to be taken seriously. Where your labs, symptoms, stress levels, and story are all part of the treatment plan.

You shouldn’t have to wait until something is urgent to be heard.

If you’re navigating a layoff, a transition, or just starting to question why you don’t feel like yourself, consider this your sign. Your health matters. Your body deserves attention now,not later.

This isn’t about panic. It’s about presence. It’s about getting ahead of what’s been normalized for too long.

You don’t need to earn rest. You don’t have to explain why you want to feel better. You just have to decide you’re ready.

And when you are, I’m here to support you.