Anxiety is a hot button word that often comes with negative connotations as though we should never experience this emotion. I have learned that we are often excited to discuss and align with conversations around calmness and centering oneself. Whereas with anxiety, we are uncomfortable with the “stigma” it carries and shy away from conversations to address it. Anxiety is a normal emotion as are other emotions, however, it is when it becomes debilitating that we must recognize it as an imbalance.

Truthfully, I didn’t know much about health disparities for Black women until I saw it firsthand. I may not have had statistics or known the intricate history of health disparities for Black women, but I knew what I saw very well. When I rushed her to the hospital, I saw a lack of care that was disgusting and explained repeatedly that a perfectly healthy woman can’t feel anything from her waist down.

I am a black woman. I am not your token to use to connect with patients that look like me. My presence signifies representation of a demographic that has held a long mistrust for the medical community. My presence gives them comfort, reassurance, and improves their access to care, not your access to them.

Anxiety often arises when we are uncertain about the future. Depression often arises when we are dissatisfied with the past.

Whether it’s because of pandemic pressure or personal agony, I often find myself on edge. Sometimes the easiest (and most meaningful) way to climb down off that edge is to wade into a cup of tea.

After the show, on the Insecure Wine Down, the writers provide commentary about the scene. They express the purpose of the scene was to highlight issues that plague the Black community surrounding childbirth, especially the neglect Black women feel when they encounter the healthcare system.