March is a month to celebrate the strength, tenacity, and contributions of women, and for me, it’s also a month to remember the practices that have sustained generations of Black women through struggle, healing, and empowerment. Way before herbal medicine became fashionable, our grandmothers and ancestors were using plants to calm the pain, guard the womb, and nourish the spirit. In this post, I’d like to pay homage to women whose practice was healing not as a craft but as an act of resistance, community care, and survival. Their stories are part of our herstory, and their wisdom lives on in how many of us, including me, are reclaiming natural healing today.
Rooted in Resistance: Herbalism During Enslavement
African American women have been essential in cultural preservation. Cultural preservation encompasses years of traditions, language, and family structures and has ensured the vitality of the African American heritage. Black women have served as the most creative and resourceful group, which is why their importance in cultivating culture is beyond significant. The longstanding protection of our practices is a response to the systematic erasure and suppression of African cultural traditions. One significant tradition that has been adopted not only by newer African generations but other heritages as well is the heavy reliance on herbs as natural remedies. Societies in parts of West Africa influenced the strong role of herbs for physical ailments, spiritual protection, and reproductive health. These herbs served as a means of community-building since it was used to care for their peers when doctors refused. With the lack of access to medical facilities, poor roads/infrastructure, and affordability of treatment, African Traditional Medicine served as a haven, an affordable, trusted source of healing. Women used them to care for their families and neighbors when access to formal healthcare was denied due to racism, poverty, or geographic isolation. Even today, we see this legacy alive in the wellness movements led by Black women, this generational knowledge continues to thrive, connecting the past with the present and preserving a culture that refuses to be forgotten.
The Midwives and Root Women of the South
Early African American midwives were important among enslaved communities. These women, many of whom had inherited knowledge passed down from African ancestors, served as support and care for mothers and newborns before, after, and during childbirth. Their work extended far beyond delivering babies; they offered comfort, herbal remedies, breastfeeding support, and guidance.
After Emancipation, these African-American midwives, who were frequently known as “Granny Midwives”, continuously worked with both white and black women in parts of the South. They were important during this time because of the inaccessibility of hospitals and the lack of trained or willing doctors who were able to serve. These women were pillars of their communities, often walking miles to attend births, staying for days to ensure both mother and child were safe, and charging little to nothing for their services.
Granny midwives served as a form of resistance against a medical system that devalued black lives. They passed down years of ancestral knowledge, dignity, and strength. As privatized medicine grew in the United States, efforts were made to discredit and regulate their work through state licensing laws and public health campaigns. Out-of-hospital births decreased significantly as they were subjected to state health regulations. Despite this, their legacy endures through the resurgence of Black midwifery and the birth justice movement, walking in the footsteps of those who came before them.
The Disruption: Medical Racism and Erasure of Natural Healing
As Western medicine gained popularity, established practitioners systematically dismissed African American herbal traditions as unscientific or “superstitious” that they marginalized invaluable healing methods intertwined with ancestral knowledge. This obliteration was not simply the absence of healing arts but rather a deep destabilization of cultural identity and self-determination.
For centuries, herbs such as red raspberry leaf, blue cohosh, and mugwort have been foundational to women’s health. Red raspberry leaf is famous for its strength and tone of the uterus and its benefits during labor preparation and postpartum recovery. It encourages general reproductive wellness, with its ample antioxidant content also assisting in inflammatory reduction as well as oxidative stress elimination.
Fast forward to today, and there is a renewed interest in these alternative remedies as people are trying to turn towards more holistic approaches to health that make way for ancient knowledge. This renaissance not only reconnects communities with their identities and heritage but also invites a retelling of history that has so often attempted to erase these practices.
The Modern Revival: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom
Today, herbalism and holistic health have become heavily pushed by social media, nutritionists, and practicing doctors. Many people are turning away from prescribed supplements and pills, gravitating instead towards whole foods and fermented products, to name a few. When I first started my journey with PCOS, I was originally prescribed Spironolactone, with acne being my biggest PCOS stressor, this was to help suppress the hormones causing my acne. However, I soon came to learn of the many side effects that can display on your internal health with long-term use of taking these, although my acne cleared up, I knew I didn’t want to be dependent on these pills for my entire life. Eventually, I turned away from the pills and turned to my diet, cutting out excess sugars, greasy/fried foods, and processed ingredients. I have learned now the importance of eating whole fully, but I need to express that it is very important to give yourself grace. Find balance in the foods that you eat; I have ice cream when I feel like It and pizza when it is present, I do not restrict myself to the point where I feel guilty for eating something that doesn’t align with my diet. Healing takes time, and while the majority of my diet includes whole meals, I still have fun with the things I eat. This journey has taught me that healing isn’t about perfection; it’s about listening to your body, honoring your heritage, and finding a sustainable rhythm that nourishes both your health and your happiness.
Whether in fields of enslavement or today’s wellness spaces, Black women have always found power in plants. The legacy of healing that comes from the earth, through teas, through baths, through blessings, isn’t just something you read about in history, it’s something we get to touch; it’s a living, breathing piece of resistance through every generation, a reminder of our resilience and resourcefulness. As I navigate my healing, I carry their stories with me. I hope that this post inspires you to look deeper into the healing traditions of your lineage, to listen deeply to your body, and to honor the women who came before us, who healed without applause but with intention.
Sources:
Beal, M. W. “Women’s Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Reproductive Health Care.” Journal of Nurse-Midwifery, vol. 43, no. 3, 1 May 1998, pp. 224–234, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9674352/, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-2182(98)00009-3. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.
Smithsonian. “The Historical Significance of Doulas and Midwives.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 31 Jan. 2022, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-significance-doulas-and-midwives.
Ozioma, Ezekwesili-Ofili Josephine, and Okaka Antoinette Nwamaka Chinwe. Herbal Medicines in African Traditional Medicine. Www.intechopen.com, IntechOpen, 30 Jan. 2019, www.intechopen.com/chapters/64851.
“The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – for he has so much to look forward to.” – Richard Mullin
