An evening for Black women navigating menopause
October 17, 2026
BLVCK
PAUSE
Menopause Awareness Month 2026
Join us for an evening of connection, culture, storytelling, and conversation centered on the experiences of Black women navigating menopause and midlife. Gather over authentic West African food, experience the premiere of The Stories We Carry, and stay for The Village Conversation, where we’ll reflect, share, and continue the conversation together.
- Date
- Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Venue
- Bamboo, Grand Rapids
- Admission
- $35Registration is limited
We are here.
We deserve to be seen.
Join us for our inaugural evening created to center the voices, experiences, and wisdom of Black women navigating menopause and midlife. Through community, film, and conversation, BLVCK PAUSE creates space to see ourselves reflected, hear what has too often gone unspoken, and imagine what more meaningful support can look like.
The Evening
Three parts, one evening:Connection, reflection, and conversation.
Arrive
The Reception
The evening opens with authentic West African cuisine and room to connect, and space to be in community with others before the lights go down.
Watch
The Premiere
The first public screening of The Stories We Carry, a documentary centering the lived experiences of Black women in West Michigan as they navigate menopause and midlife.
Talk
The Village Conversation
A moderated community dialogue that brings the stories on screen into the room: reflection, shared experience, and what meaningful support looks like in our homes, workplaces, and healthcare settings.
Black women have been navigating one of life's most significant transitions without seeing themselves fully reflected in the resources and conversations surrounding menopause. The Stories We Carry centers local Black women as they speak from their own lived experiences of menopause, identity, change, and the things we often carry quietly.
At the center of this film are Black women telling their own stories, in their own words.
Why This, Why Now
Menopause is receiving more attention. The experiences of Black women deserve greater visibility within that conversation.
The gap remains
Research is expanding and media attention is growing, yet the biological, social, and lived realities of Black women have not received the same level of attention, investment, or intentional design.
The impact extends beyond health
Menopause touches workplace participation, financial decisions, family relationships, identity, and quality of life. Trusted, culturally responsive support can make a meaningful difference in how women navigate the transition.
A broader model begins here
BLVCK PAUSE brings together education, clinical insight, and community within an evidence-informed model designed around the experiences of Black women. October 17 marks the public introduction of that broader vision in West Michigan.
“We are here. We deserve to be seen.”
Partners
Supported by:
Interested in partnering with BLVCK PAUSE?
Support from community and corporate partners brings this evening to life and advances a broader vision for culturally responsive menopause care.
View Sponsorship OpportunitiesSaturday, October 17, 2026
Registration is limited.
Reserve your seat today.
- Time
- Doors open for registration at 5:00 p.m.Reception begins at 5:30 p.m.
- Venue
- Bamboo · 2 W Fulton Street · Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Admission
- $35Registration is limited
- What to expect
- Reception · Film premiere · Community conversation
- Parking / Access
- [Details to come]
Registration closes when capacity is reached.
Be first to know
Get updates about BLVCK PAUSE, future events, and announcements as this work grows.