Black Girl Vitamins is tackling topics about Black womens’ health with a new podcast dedicated to bringing women together to talk about their experiences.
Announced earlier this week, with the first episode debuting on Sept. 23, the video podcast is titled “Kitchen Confessions.” Hosted by Dr. Contessa Metcalfe, the podcast will explore the wellness journeys of Black women through different lenses, including community leaders, mothers, entrepreneurs, and medical professionals.
The topics that will be discussed in the inaugural season include pregnancy, motherhood, aging and perimenopause. Future episodes will cover PCOS, weight management, exercise, beauty and fibroids.
Guests who will take part in the podcast include Kesha “Pea” Ward, Dr. Mimi Sanders, 2 Chainz and Christina “Ms. Basketball” Granville.
“Black women deserve to see the full range of their health and wellness experiences reflected in the conversations around them,” said Chief Strategy Officer of Black Girl Vitamins, Jennifer Juma. “Kitchen Confessions brings lived experience and expert perspective together in a way that feels honest, relevant and connected to women’s lives.”
Through increasing discussions about the health of Black women, Black Girl Vitamins is addressing the disparities that exist in the medical world for Black women.
Several health inequities are common experiences for Black women. A 2023 study from Boston University found that Black women are more likely to have fatal cases of cardiovascular disease, stroke, lupus, hypertension and most forms of cancer, including breast cancer.
They are also twice as likely to develop diabetes over the age of 55, as well as hypertension.
Despite being disproportionately burdened by a number of chronic conditions, Black women are often ignored or discriminated against in the health care system.
A KFF study found that approximately 21% of Black women said that they experienced at least one form of discrimination from health care workers in the past year alone. Black women are also not taken seriously when voicing their concerns. As a result, they are often misdiagnosed. They are 2% to 30% more likely to be misdiagnosed amongst almost all health issues, including cancer, heart disase and mental health.
Through their latest podcast, Black Girl Vitamins are aiming to draw attention to existing disparities and shine a light on the feelings of Black women, beginning with motherhood.
“Kitchen Confessions creates space to talk about what it actually feels like to navigate the parts of pregnancy and motherhood that do not always make it into the announcement photos, family updates, or carefully chosen captions,” said Black Girl Vitamins in Kitchen Confessions. “You may wonder who you are now, what you need, and whether there is still room for the dreams and desires you had before motherhood.”The question becomes: Where do you fit into all of this?”
