To Bleed as a Black Woman

By Janice Miyoshi Days

It’s 3:15am on September 24th and I can’t sleep. I’m tossing and turning in bed, trying to find a comfortable position. My mind is reeling, ridden with shock and disbelief as I reflect on the grand jury’s decision in the Breonna Taylor case. Breonna’s face swims in my mind as I think about her family and those who knew her personally, mourning her life. I think about the protests. The petitions. The calls to action. I think about everything, yet still, there is no justice.

As tears stain my face, I can’t help but draw parallels between my life and that of Breonna Taylor’s. She was a young, vibrant, 26-year-old Black woman, emerging on the cusp of her life. I think about the fact that none of the officers involved were directly charged with her murder. The wanton endangerment charges were not because of Breonna’s death, but rather for the shots fired into her white neighbor’s apartment, damaging property.

The property was more valued than Breonna’s body.

There is a history of devaluing Black women’s bodies in this country. 2020 has violently and bluntly reminded me (and the nation) that Black women are among some of the most disrespected and vulnerable people in the world.

Black women’s lives, bodies, and health are literally at risk every day at rates higher than our non-black counterparts. Here are some statistics:

Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Nearly a quarter of all black women ages 18-30 have fibroids, compared to only 7 percent of white women.

Black women and white women get breast cancer at about the same rate, but black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than white women.

The areas in which Black women are at risk go beyond life and death, and seep into our everyday lives. For example, one area in particular of black women’s health that concerns me is our menstrual periods.

As writer Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez recalls in her article: Period Taboo and Menstrual Cups in the Black Community, [In the black community] “menstruation wasn’t something you celebrated. At the same time, it wasn’t something you ignored. It was simply a fact of life. As a Black woman, I was taught that it’s like any other trial — you deal with it, push through the pain, and move on.” In 2017, research showed that black women spent about 54 million dollars on feminine hygiene products that year . That’s 16 percent more than any other racial group. Yet, black women are more likely to be ashamed of our periods. Why is that? There seems to be a disconnect. As a society, periods are still considered a taboo topic, but there is an added layer as a black woman. Our periods are shrouded in stereotypes and pain instead of their purpose.

The hypersexalization of our physical bodies has contributed to the generational spread of “black mama myths” and taboos like “tampons aren’t for virgins.” According to research by Tampax Radiant, twenty-five percent of Black women said they made the decision to use pads only because they were never taught how to use tampons.

Historian and author of The Modern Period: Menstruation in Twentieth-Century America, Lara Freindenfelds explains that African American mothers are quite concerned about their daughters handling their bodies. This comes from racist attitudes that black women are stigmatized over their bodies. Black mothers are very careful about helping their daughters do this in a way that would mark them as middle class.

Lack of representation in media, data studies, and socio-economic inequalities are also major contributing factors.

It’s important to educate black women about their menstrual period, menstrual cycle, and reproductive health; because we’ve been fed so much misinformation for years. A huge portion is rooted in our inherent distrust of medical professionals; which is arguably warranted.

For centuries, our black bodies have been falsely believed by scientists, physicians, and slave owners, to feel less pain, withstand more injury, and quite frankly; believed that our lives are expendable, to justify inhumane treatment towards us. In 1851, Dr. Samuel Cartright of the University of Louisiana, wrote in a medical report, “Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race” that black slaves bore drapetomania, a disease making them insensible to pain when subjected to punishment”.

From the U.S. military secretly testing mustard gas and other chemicals on black soldiers during World War II, to the Tuskegee Experiment studying the progression of untreated syphilis in black men from 1932 to 1972; there is a harmful narrative that the black body is unimportant and replaceable.

And decades later, a 2016 study showed that physicians were still more likely to underestimate the pain of black patients (47%) relative to nonblack patients (33.5%).

These historical events minimize our physical pain and have subconsciously buried our emotional pain and trauma deep in our psyches which manifest through the way we view ourselves and openly discuss our bodies.

5 years ago, Cece Jones-Davis, a menstrual advocate, artist, and thought leader, wrote an article entitled “Why Black Women in the United States Must Talk About Menstruation Now” which posed the question: Where are all the black women in the period advocacy space?

Thankfully, since then, there have been dozens of black women who have raised their voices and are creating real change in the menstrual advocacy space. Women like Chelsea VonChaz of #Happy Period, Ileri-Oluwa Jaiyeoba of Code Red Collective , Lynette Medley of No More Secrets, and Zakia Haughton and Jackie Edouard of Our Periods Matter, and a plethora of other of black women who are providing necessary period products, period literacy, and advocating on the front lines for menstruators in their communities.

As a black woman and the founder of Hate the Dot, a movement committed to turning menstrual cycles to self-care rituals, I am personally finding healing from repeated trauma by using my voice for good, for change, and for action now more than ever. In 2019, I co-hosted a rally on National Period Day at City Hall in New York City to protest the tampon tax in this country. I’ve partnered with various companies to host packing parties and to give away hundreds of period & hygiene products to benefit homeless and less fortunate women in NYC. This year, Hate the Dot gave away 5,000 tampons for free for menstruators impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Hate the Dot, we want to encourage Black women to make time and space for self-care. In a country where our bodies have been so violently disrespected, it is an act of rebellion when we intentionally take care of them. When we dispel myths about our health and hygiene, we slowly chip away generations of physical, emotional, and mental trauma.

Here are a few ways to create time and space for your menstrual self-care:

Tracking your Menstrual Cycle: In my opinion, your menstrual cycle is a vital sign. Some days you may have lots of energy, some days you may not. Some days your hormones are in one place, and a few days later; they are in another. It is so important to understand what phase of your menstrual cycle you are in and what happens to your body during each phase. When you are equipped with more knowledge , you can make more informed decisions about your health.

Starting conversations with women & menstruators in your life: Periods and talking about our reproductive organs should not be taboo. We need to have regular conversations to help normalize this. You can also examine what attitudes you have about these topics. Think about any negative feelings you have about your period and your body. Where did they come from? Were they taught to you? Did your momma & her momma have the same negative attitudes?

I believe our past impacts our present. The psychological and societal scars from racism, oppression, and classism have all played a part in the way that black women present themselves to the world and have pacified conversations about our bodies and menstrual periods for generations.

I also believe our present will impact our future, and when we make time and space for self-care; we heal the past traumas and create a new narrative for our health and bodies.

Meet The Writer

Miyoshi Days is a menstrual advocate, thought leader, and founder of Hate the Dot. Her mission is to help turn menstrual cycles into self-care rituals through education and advocacy.
Through her community-based online platform (launching early 2021), Miyoshi helps take the confusion out of the menstrual cycle by talking to menstrual education experts from all around the world to break down what's really going on with your body each month. She has a strong passion for educating, empowering, and helping women and menstruators alike prioritize their health and self-care.