September 25, 2024
BWHI introduces “Me Period Day” for Black mothers and daughters to engage in open conversations about their bodies and periods.
It’s National Daughter’s Day, and as part of the celebration, the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) has launched “Me Period Day,” a safe space for Black mothers and caregivers to have open conversations about menstruation with their daughters.
Sept. 25, 2024, marks the inaugural celebration of Me Period Day as BWHI celebrates its Anniversary Week. According to BWHI, Me Period Day is a moment for youth to “connect with their bodies, establish healthy habits, and become powerful advocates for their own health.”
The organization stated that with nearly 1 in 4 women in the U.S. struggling to afford period products, it’s important to use this national day of action to advocate for menstrual equity. “Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of background, has access to affordable period products and the information they need to live healthier lives,” the organization said.
Black women dedicated to protecting Black women and girls created the Black Women’s Health Imperative in 1983 to advance the health and wellness of their community. The nonprofit organization works to decrease health disparities for Black women through initiatives like Me Period Day and its “Black Women Vote: 2024 Health Policy Voters Guide,’ which BLACK ENTERPRISE previously mentioned, released this month to help Black women understand policies and issues regarding their health, ahead of this year’s election.
BWHI encourages women and girls to participate in the Sept. 25 celebration by using the hashtags #NationalDaughtersDay and #MePeriod to spread empowerment and share stories that promote healthy habits for the body and health advocacy. Use the Me Period Day image frames throughout the day to win a year’s supply of period products.
BWHI also invites the public to join a virtual “Me Period” documentary screening and explore conversations on navigating menstruation, breaking barriers, and mother-daughter bonding. The film features celebrity mothers Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tabitha Brown, who sit down with their daughters to discuss periods and the body. “Women bleed every month, but somewhere in my head, I didn’t think it would happen to me,” Brown says in the trailer as she shares the couch with her daughter and reflects on the moment her period started. Ralph says she was with her dad and brothers when it happened. “She’s just becoming a woman,” she remembers her father confirming to her brothers that she wasn’t “dying.”
Watch the Sept. 25 virtual screening at 7:00 PM EST by creating a free Kinema account and purchasing a $10 ticket to support BWHI. Start conversations with your mothers, daughters, and state representatives using BWHI’s advocacy tool kit.